Gang rape leads to fiery protests in Swarupnagar, Basirhat

Criminals at large yet; police apathetic

The whole of Swarupnagar within the Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Paraganas district and not Dattapara only, where the heinous gang rape of Saraswati Samanta (name changed) occurred, is raging against the apathy of the administration and its failure to nab the criminals including Rinku Gazi and Saiful Mandal till now. Locals have been witnessed to state if Hindus want to exist in Bengal they have to be soldiers henceforth. If truth be told, Swarupnagar has hit the headlines many times recently but either for violence or for rape. The area is virtually dominated by radical Muslim youths and Bangladeshi cow smugglers making it almost impossible for Hindu girl and women roam in the streets after dusk. Saraswati Samanta got married just six months back and on May 20, while returning to her paternal residence from the nearby market, she was grabbed midway. Her husband works and lives in outside Bengal.    

It has been learnt, Rinku Gazi and Saiful Mandal made sexually explicit remarks while Saraswati was returning all alone. She got terrified, as a result but failed to avoid Rinku and Saiful who along with two other criminals took her to a poultry firm. She, as fresh reports have come, was raped by Rinku Gazi and Saiful Mandal repeatedly. When wounded Saraswati raised an alarm, local traders rushed to the spot that made the four criminals flee. Saraswati, later on, was admitted to the Basirhat municipality hospital for fast medical attention.  Saraswati Samanta lodged an FIR against the criminals. Her medical test was done on Wednesday that proved the claim of gang rape.  

Now, the whole of Swarupnagar is tense and enraged residents have come to streets to protest against this precarious incident. The protest has become general and is not limited to any political party. All, including men and women, young and old, adolescent girls to elder women are reproaching the state’s administration without any compunction. According to them, Basirhat and also Swarupnagar have turned into hotspot where mafia gangs and criminals, comprising Islamists and cow smugglers from Bangladesh, reign supremely while the local police is either found indifferent or a mute spectator to burgeoning crimes.  

Finding no assurances from local police to nab culprits, general public in Dattapara joined the street marches spontaneously on Wednesday and blocked the Basirhat-Hakimpur road for hours. Large protests went on before the Swarupnagar police station as well and the emotion was so strong that local MLA, Beena Manadal failed to assuage the protestors. She had to leave ultimately and without success. Meanwhile, a few Trinamool Congress activists attacked a journalist when the Trinamool MLA was asked a few questions regarding religious polarization and fast deteriorating law and order in and around Swarupnagar. All these led to a huge trouble and to quell it, a large contingent of police with high-ranking police officials reached the place from Basirhat and assured people there of adopting necessary measures to nab the culprits. However, even if 24 hours have passed from the assurance provided by police, criminals are still at large prompting people to get more aggressive.

Hindu Samhati regularly monitors and reports violations against Hindus in West Bengal. We also work with both governmental and NGO agencies for proper education on protection and ensure remedies to the Hindu populace as per prevailing law of the land.