The BJP’s desperate attempts to find a toehold in the Krishnanagar death case have been conspicuous in the past few days after being left out of the RG Kar movement’s mainstream with the protesting medical fraternity summarily dismissing the saffron camp.
On Saturday, the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari met the parents of the deceased in Krishnanagar, the constituency of Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra. Adhikari managed to convince the deceased girl’s family to pursue a legal battle, possibly pushing for a CBI inquiry, with the BJP’s support.
Adhikari also announced that the BJP women’s wing would launch a movement to demand justice for the dead girl.
The 17-year-old girl went missing on Tuesday night after leaving home to meet her boyfriend. Her body was discovered on Wednesday morning near an abandoned Durga Puja pandal in Krishnanagar’s Mission Para, with severe burns to the face, chest and abdomen. While a cryptic Facebook post hinted at suicide, the family has insisted she was gang-raped and murdered, with acid used to burn her body to destroy evidence.
Police arrested the girl's boyfriend, 24-year-old Rahul Bose, and took him into custody for interrogation. A post-mortem conducted at JNM Hospital ruled out sexual assault and confirmed that the burn injuries were "ante mortem" or sustained before her death.
Adhikari said: "The girl’s parents are simple people who have been misled by the police and others. They have now entrusted us with the responsibility of ensuring a legal fight for justice."
He criticised other political entities, particularly the Left and the medical fraternity who also met the family, saying: "They initially supported the family but deserted them midway, leaving them confused."
He added: "The family has demanded an independent inquiry by a central agency, and we have assured them that our party will provide senior lawyers and all necessary legal support without any political bias. I have told their lawyers to talk to them clearly in this regard."
JNM hospital authorities on Saturday evening submitted the post-mortem report to the police.
SP Krishna Nagar Amarnath K. told The Telegraph: "The post-mortem report ascertained that the death of the girl was caused due to ante mortem burn injuries, but not by acid. At the same time, there was no mark of any other external injuries including any sexual assault. However, it could not be ascertained immediately if the death of the girl was homicidal or suicidal. We are waiting for some other reports, including forensic and fingerprint reports, for a conclusive result to ascertain how she died."
Initially, despite repeated feelers for support sent by the local leadership, the girl’s family declined BJP support. But with the post-mortem findings appearing to diminish the possibility of assault or even murder, the BJP had more success in wooing the bereaved family by alleging "manipulation" of the investigation by the state police.
"This is undoubtedly a murder," Adhikari claimed. "The girl was tortured and killed, but the police misled her family and hastened the cremation. As far as I know, the post-mortem suggests suicide, but I can confidently say she was tortured and killed, possibly even forced to make the Facebook post", Adhikari said.
In response to Adhikari's allegations of "manipulation", a senior Trinamool leader from Krishnanagar said: “In this case, it is still not clear how the girl died or whether any sexual assault occurred at all. But unfortunately, it is the character of the BJP that whenever such an incident occurs, where solidarity and support is required for the deceased's family, the BJP shamelessly tries to gain political mileage."
"In this case, police have taken all possible measures to ensure a proper probe, but it appears that the BJP leadership is misleading the family and encouraging them for a legal battle which may not benefit them at all," he added.
The police installed CCTV cameras where the girl’s body was found. A team of doctors from JNM Hospital, who conducted the autopsy, inspected the scene. The state government has replaced the investigating officer, handing the case over to inspector Kaushik Sau.