Somnath Chatterjee demands punishment

Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Friday demanded exemplary punishment for the accused in the barbaric gang-rape of a 20-year-old tribal girl by 13 people on the order of a kangaroo court at Labhpur village in Birbhum district.

“We feel concerned and worried. We feel ashamed that such a barbaric thing has happened. I don’t know which way we are going. Exemplary punishment has to be given to those involved in such an act,” Chatterjee said.  

Sources in the Suri hospital said medical tests were being conducted and the victim is now stable and eating food. She was gang-raped on the order of the kangaroo court when she expressed her inability to pay Rs 50,000 as fine for falling in love with a man from another community.

“The morol (village headman) ordered that I be ‘enjoyed’ by the men of the village. Following his orders, at least 13 people, including (some) members of a single family, took turns to rape me. I lost count of how many times I was raped,” said the victim.