Kolkata: Amid noisy protests and alleged police baton charge, a city court Tuesday framed charges against eight accused in the alleged gang rape and murder of a college girl at Kamduni village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
The court framed charges under section 302, 376 A and 376D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) among others, against eight of the accused who have been arrested three months after the gruesome incident which evoked strong response from the civil society and public at large.
Section 302 relates to murder, and could lead to the death penalty or life imprisonment. 376A carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and deals with inflicting injury during rape which may result in the death of the victim while 376D deals with gang rape.
Incidentally, the charges were framed on a day when a Delhi court convicted four men for the Dec 16, 2012, gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who subsequently died of her grave injuries.
The CID had named nine people in its charge sheet of which one is still at large.
However, under the wrong impression that section 302 had not been slapped on the accused, the victim’s family said it was not happy with the “lighter charges” and walked out of the court room.
The family members of the victim had earlier written to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to change the public prosecutors appearing in the case stating they were inexperienced in handling such cases.
A large number of protestors including the victim’s family members and Kamduni villagers demonstrated outside the court seeking death penalty (under Section 302) for the accused and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The protests led to a scuffle with police. Protestors alleged the lawkeepers subsequently resorted to baton charge resulting in injuries to several people including a brother of the victim. (IANS)