Ranigunj tastes fiery Hindu resistance

Rape of Hindu school girl, inability of police to nab Muslim rapists enrages Hindus

What did take place in Chandannagar, District: Hooghly a few days back is being witnessed in Ranigunj, District: Burdwan now – fiery Hindu resistance against Muslim radicals’ aggression.

And while abrupt attacks of Islamists on Hindu processions to celebrate Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti in Chandannagar led to the conflict, in Ranigunj, rape of a Hindu school girl of Class VI by two Muslim hoodlums on April 29, 2013, caused vociferous protests of Hindus, marked by the predominance of violence, setting vehicles on fire and injury of several people including police personnel.

It has been learnt, Hindu school girl, student of Class VI of Basanti Devi Balika Vidayalaya, was returning from her school at noon when she was clutched by the two Islamists, Mohammad Rajat Khan and Kaliya Sheikh. She, then, was made unconscious by using sedative drug, taken to a bush adjacent to Sasthigaria Park and was ravished ceaselessly. The whole incident was narrated by the innocent victim only after she regained consciousness, managed to return to her residence in Haspatalpatti of Purba Collegepara.

Even if the father and relatives of the girl student tried to file FIR against the horrific incident, at every time they were snubbed by police citing their inability to arrest the two Muslim youths, known both as Trinamool Congress activists and ardent follower of Sohrab Ali, MLA (Trinamool Congress) of Ranigunj, in the locality.

Finding no other option, Hindus, calling for immediate arrest of two Muslim culprits, blockaded National Highway – 60 on Tuesday. The conflict started when police tried to call the blockade a halt forcefully and also lathi charged to disperse the angry Hindu mob. Hindus, then, were seen to reiterate that the Muslim rapists must be handed over to them.

As part of retaliation against administration’s inactivity to nab the Muslim culprits and its endeavor to injure innocent Hindus violently, angry Hindu protesters torched lots of vehicles including a police van. Two party offices of TMC in the neighborhood were also burnt down.  

By 10 pm, it was virtually a street war which became impossible for RAF to contain even and only when Suresh Chadia (ADCP – Central) and Ajay Prasad (ACP) approached the area with a large contingent of police force and pleaded with Hindus to stop, the situation calmed down.  

The Hindu minor girl student, it is reported, has undergone medical tests in Asansol Sub-divisional hospital.

Even if two Muslim rapists have been arrested, 15 Hindus have also been taken into custody.