In an incident which was sent shock waves across West Bengal, a nun of a convent school was gangraped in the wee hours of the night on Friday. Some miscreants entered the Convent of Jesus and Mary at Ranaghat in Nadia district and looted as many as Rs 12 lakhs. When the sister superior of the convent tried to resist them, she was allegedly gangraped. The dacoits tied up the security guard and then went on rampage inside the convent.
The nun’s condition is serious and has been admitted to the nearby hospital. This apart, three other sisters were beaten up by the armed men who had entered the convent.
Taking no chances, the state government was quick to react. The West Bengal Chief Minister immediately ordered a CID probe into the case. A four-member team of Bhawani Bhawan are on their way to Ranaghat.
Meanwhile, the district police has taken over the investigation. “We condemn this incident. The sister has not been raped. This is a rape to mankind. The state is beside the sister and we will provide her support in all capacities,” the state's Urban Development Affairs Minister said.
A team of members of the West Bengal Women’s Commission has reached Ranaghat.
Hours after the news broke, students and their parents of the convent, accompanied by locals staged massive protests in the city. Locals blocked rail as well roads, including the National Highway 34. Sealdah bound trains from Ranaghat have been halted because of the massive protests.
Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Kolkata, Thomas D’Souza has condemned the incident. “We will identify the accused as we have CCTV at the convent. The guilty must be punished. Such incidents have never happened in the history of our state,” said D’Souza.
