Forcible cremation : Trinamul team visits spot

COOCH BEHAR, June 29: A 13-member Trinamul Congress team led by its district unit president Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh visited Dakshin Nalgram village under Sitalkuchi police station today. They talked with the parents of Madhabi Barman (15) who was allegedly cremated forcibly by some local CPI-M activists on 22 June. On the otherhand a five-member Trinamul MLA-team led by Mrs Sonali Guha is to visit that village tomorrow. They will also meet Cooch Behar DM and SP to discuss the issue.

After visiting Dakshin Nalgram village in Mathabhanga sub-division today, the district Trinamul leaders submitted a memorandum to the Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar demanding arrest of the culprits.

Mr Ghosh said the victim was suffering from illness due to abortion done by a local quack. One Biswajit Ray, son of CPI-M's ex-panchayat member Mr Budaru Barman, allegedly raped her three years ago. She became pregnant. After local arbitration she was sent to the boy's house but she was driven out from there after four months. It was decided that the parents of the girl will get Rs 18,000 as compensation but Rs 3,000 is yet to be paid. Since the abortion done by the quack she was suffering from various ailments, her parents told the Trinamul leaders.

On 20 June the parents of the girl took her for medical examination to Mathabhanga sub-divisional hospital. On 22 June in absence of her father, Mr Lalit Barman, a brickfield worker, some villagers stated to be CPI-M leaders and activists took the sick girl forcefully and cremated her at a burning ground. She was sick but she was alive at the time when she was forcibly cremated, her parents complained to the Trinamul team, Mr Ghosh said. The victim's mother, Mrs Banubala Barman lodged a complaint against seven CPI-M men involved with the incident to the SDPO of Mathabhanga Mr Ananda Roy on 27 June. Police started an inquiry but took no action till now, Mr Ghosh said.

Mr Ghosh also alleged that the 10-year-old brother of the girl named Sushil Barman was assaulted yesterday because he told the media persons that his elder sister was alive when she was cremated. Out of fear the parents of Madhabi left Dakshin Nalgram village and had to take shelter in a neighbouring village, the Trinamul team observed.

On the otherhand, local CPI-M leadership termed the entire allegations as baseless. They claimed that they cremated Madhabi's body after taking permission from her parents. The sick girl had died on Thursday night and she was cremated on Friday, they said.

Demanding arrest of the CPI-M men Trinamul Congress supporters staged a roadblock for about one-and-half hour on Mathabhanga-Sitalkuchi road today. Trinamul Mahila Congress supporters led by its district unit president Ms Kalyani Poddar demonstrated in front of the offices of SDO and SDPO in Mathabhanga yesterday. Trinamul Congress will organise a demonstration in front of Mathabhanga SDO office on Monday. They will also observe a thana gherao programme at Sitalkuchi on Tuesday. []