Hanshkhali (Nadia), April 15: CBI’s DIG Akhilesh Singh who is heading the probe into the rape and murder of a minor girl in Hanshkhali experienced how the people in the area have been living under threat for a long time due to the reign of terror unleashed by miscreants who are also involved into the alleged crime.
On Thursday night when Singh arrived at the crime spot – the residence of prime accused Brajo (Sohail) Gayali, when an elderly woman with folded hand appealed to him to help the villagers so that they could get rid of the reign of terror unleashed in the area by his father and Trinamul’s local strong man Samar Gayali.
The woman Sikharani Gayal, who happens to be the wife of Samar’s cousin Asit, told the DIG, “Sir…Please save us…Help us to live in peace. Samar and his men made our life a hell. We can’t live under such threat…”.
Sikharani Gayali
On Friday Sikharani told The NfN, “Samar is a don. He tried to kill me and my son as we refused to go by his term. We are his relative. Nevertheless, he didn’t spare us. Samar and his men robbed us of our rights even from availing government’s beneficial scheme as nothing can be had off without paying money that includes even a death certificate or birth certificate from the gram Panchayat”.
Sikharani’s desperate attempt to overcome threat and fear, inspired many on Friday to speak against Samar and his aides whose alleged acts surfaced following the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl in Hanshkhali.
After 11 days of rape and murder of the girl, the people living in the area have been fuming in anger that could blast at any moment in the area. The anger and tense situation have been well apprehended by the local police who provided security arrangements at the house of the accused persons and close aides of Samar, who also allegedly burnt the girl’s body taking it away from her home at gunpoint.
Police sources said at least 14 houses in the area have been put under police protection that including local Trinamul leader Sipra Das, a close associate of Samar.
On April 4, Samar’s son Sohail and two of his aides allegedly gang-raped a class IX girl who later died under mysterious circumstances apparently due to excessive bleeding the next morning. Samar and his men later took over the body of the girl threatening the victim’s parents at gunpoint and burning the body at an unauthorized crematorium without any death certificate and post mortem.
On Friday Debasish Bagchi, a quack, accused Samar Gayali and his aides of sexual assault, threat, and intimidation as he refused to withdraw his right over a piece of land. The torture unleashed on the woman was so intense that the young homemaker tried to commit suicide along with her minor daughter by consuming poison. Breaking down in tears Bagchi told The NfN on Friday, “My wife and the daughter survived after prolonged treatment. But I have to shift them to Tamilnadu to save their lie and their modesty. I went to lodge a complaint against him but Hanshkhali police never accepts the complaint against Samar”.
The allegation of complacency and reluctance against police in registering complaints is a common allegation in the area. Sikharani said, “Samar beat up my son injuring him seriously but police accused my son and arrested him while under treatment. Police refused to listen to us”.
“Police also accused my son of a fake rape case putting a girl under pressure which she has withdrawn recently”, she added.
Local villagers alleged that police acts as per Samar’s direction. “During the past 10 years a number of officers in charge changed but the situation remained unchanged as none has shown any courage to make a complaint against Samar”.
“Police officers attached to Hanshkhali often attend parties at Samar’s house. So it is quite natural that they would not listen to us”, a villager alleged.
Additional SP of Ranaghat Rupantar Sengupta, however, refuted the allegation. “We have a number of cases under
investigation against Samar. He was also charge-sheeted. Anybody can lodge complaints against him without fear”, he said.
The ASP also claimed that police posting put at certain houses in the area did not apprehend any retaliation. “It was aimed to protect the evidence of the crime”, he said.
Reacting to allegations against Samar Gayali, Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra said, “As an MP I will never tolerate such a person in the party…I always vocal against such incidents”.
Meanwhile, on Friday CBI crime spot team visited Samar’s residence, the crematorium, and also the house of another accused. The team also searched a bush behind Samar’s residence and traced out a mobile phone, condoms, and other material evidence.
At the crematorium, the investigating officers questioned the elderly caretaker Karuna Gayali while collecting burnt remains from the ashes, which will be sent for a forensic test.
“We will send all collected samples for the forensic test with a target for obtaining a fast report so that the Calcutta High Court may be appraised by May 2 as directed’, a CBI officer of the probing team said.