Following Calcutta HC's snub, Bengal govt pays compensation to family of rape and murder victim

Kolkata, Dec 20 State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) informed the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday that an interim compensation of Rs 5,00,000 has been paid to the family a minor girl, who was raped and murdered at Hanskhali in Nadia district in April.

The compensation was provided after Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava on Monday pulled up the state government and the SLSA for their repeated appeals to postpone the hearing in the matter and directed the SLSA counsel to inform the court on Tuesday as to what it is going to do and what it has done so far in the matter.

Justice Srivastava also observed that the matter cannot be delayed for an indefinite period.

Already the process of hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) is on at the Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj for a Rs 1 crore compensation. However, the bench ordered the state government and SLSA to pay an interim compensation of Rs 5,00,000, but the payment was being delayed again and again.

The next date of hearing has been scheduled on January 30 next year.

On May 5 this year, Anindya Sundar Das, whose petition led the Calcutta High Court to order a CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Hanskhali, filed another petition demanding an interim compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of the victim.

The minor girl was allegedly gang-raped on April 4. Due to excessive bleeding, her family members tried to take her to a hospital, but the father of the prime accused, who is now in CBI custody, allegedly used strong arm tactics to prevent them.

On April 12, the high court had directed the CBI to take up the matter. Since then, the investigating agency has made several arrests. Among those arrested is a Trinamool Congress leader who is the father of the prime accused. His henchmen and the friends of his son, allegedly involved in the crime, have also been arrested.