NEW DELHI: States are known to oppose CBI probe into crimes in their jurisdiction. The gang-rape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent in Nadia, West Bengal, is a different story. This is one case that the Mamata Banerjee government was more than willing to hand over to the central agency but the Modi government has now rejected her request in the light of the state CID achieving a breakthrough and arresting two key suspects.
The arrests come nearly 12 days after the nun was gang-raped, leading outraged Christian community leaders to demand immediate action against the suspects whose images were captured by CCTV cameras.
Senior officials in the home ministry said they had received a recommendation of the West Bengal government for a CBI probe into the case but responded by "expressing regret". The decision has been communicated to the state government.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced on March 19 that her government had recommended a CBI probe "considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the case" and assured the central probe agency of all cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
Even as the request was pending with the Centre, the state CID managed to track the suspects and arrested two of them, Mohammed Salim Sheikh and Gopal Sarkar, on Thursday.
Sarkar was on Friday produced before a court and remanded to 14 days CID custody.
Both Salim and Sarkar are allegedly Bangladeshi nationals.
CCTV footage from the convent in Ranaghat sub-division showed visuals of four persons, who were allegedly involved in the crime.
The gang broke into the school and three-four of them raped the nun after gagging her. They later took away Rs 12 lakh kept in a locker.
Condemning the incident, Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, the president of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), had said that "justice should be made visible and such acts should not continue".
Post a Comment