Kolkata:
Ten days after the brutal rape and murder of a college student in Barasat, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday visited the victim's family and promised stringent action against the culprits.
"I was about to visit the family. What has happened is really sad and horrific. We promise stringent action against the culprits. We'll submit chargesheet within 15 days and on behalf of the government will plea for death penalty," said Banerjee after the visit.
"The culprits who have been arrested were under thesupport of local CPI(M)," she claimed. "I'll not spell out the details of what came up in the meeting with the victim's family. We'll open four more police stations in the area for better vigil," she said.
Banerjee, who has often been held as intolerant to criticism by opposition, today also lost her cool when a local woman asked her a question and she retorted, "Don't pursue the politics of CPI(M)."
"We are the only government which has ensured death penalty within 27 days of an incident in Balurgahat. I have also asked the home secretary and the chief secretary to visit the area," she said.
The Chief Minister's visit to the victim's house comes ten days after the incident spurring serious criticism from all sections of the society.
The college student was raped and murdered in Kamuduni area of Barasat on June 8. The brutality of the incident has not only kicked off a series of protests throughout the state, but has also prompted the State Human Rights Commission to start a suo motu enquiry.
Earlier, state food minister Jyotipriyo Mullick and Trinamool MP Nurul Islam faced public ire when they tried to compensate the victim's family members with money. In the wake of protests, both had to leave the area.
Later, Mullick arranged a meeting in the state secretariatbetween the Chief Minister and the victim's two brothers whodemanded strict punishment to the guilty.
