Gang-rape accused remanded to 13 days police custody

SURI (WB): A local court today remanded the 13 persons accused of the shocking gang-rape of a tribal girl in Birbhum district's Labhpur village to 13 day police custody, a day after they were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Sub divisional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pijush Ghosh remanded the 13, including the 'morol' (community chief) Balai Murdy to 13 days police custody as sought by the police.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Phiroj Pal said that the police sought their remand since the rope with which the girl and her paramour were tied to a tree and beaten and the clothes they were wearing at the time of the incident on January 21 at Labhpur were not found.

The remand was also sought for securing other evidence, Pal said.

Among the 13 accused was a non-tribal Debraj Mondal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday shunted out Birbhum Superintendent of Police C Sudhakar for failing to seek police remand for the 13 accused in the gang-rape which had sparked public outrage.

The police took up the case afresh. The girl was gang-raped at the orders of the kangaroo court when the girl expressed her inability to pay the Rs 50,000 demanded as fine.

The fault of the girl was 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, continuously raped me. I lost count of how many times I was raped," said the victim.

Meanwhile, the victim was examined by a medical team at the Suri hospital during the day.

Hospital sources said she was stable and eating normally.