BJP Minister's Son Accused in Tripura Gang Rape Case, Party Denies Allegations

The girl’s kin was pressured to not mention the name of the minister’s son in the complaint, the Congress has said.

A still from an anti-rape protest. Image used for representational purposes only.

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The son of a Tripura minister, belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been accused of involvement in the alleged gang rape of a minor girl in the state's Unakoti district.

While the Opposition parties have been demanding that the accused be arrested, the BJP on Wednesday, 26 October, came out in support of its minister and dismissed the allegations.

Here's a lowdown on the controversy.

What Is the Case?

At least three persons have been accused of allegedly gang raping a sixteen year-old girl in a three-storey building in Kumarghat on 19 October.

The police has arrested the three persons, including a woman, in the case.

The survivor's mother has said in the police complaint that a woman from their neighbourhood had taken the minor to the building where she was allegedly assaulted sexually, news agency PTI reported.

The victim lodged an FIR on 20 October.

“She named two persons in the FIR. We did not waste any time as both persons were arrested within 24 hours of registration of the FIR. The accused persons had been identified as Papia Deb and Rajib Das. After the initial interrogation, their accomplice – Tuhin Deb was picked up and forwarded to the Court. The further investigation related to the case is underway,” Fatikroy police station in-charge Biplab Debbarma told Eastmojo.

What Are the Allegations Against the BJP Minister's Son?

Former Congress MLA Asish Saha raised allegations of the hand of the son of Tripura Labour Minister Bhagaban Das in the case, and claimed that the site of the crime was rented by the minister’s son.

"The name of a minister's son has come up in the case. Therefore, we seek a statement from Chief Minister Manik Saha on the issue. We demand immediate arrest of all the accused," Saha told the media, PTI reported.

The girl’s family was pressured to not mention the name of the minister’s son in the complaint, Saha said, as per reports.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), citing the claims against the son of the ruling party's minister, said that women's safety has "become a matter of grave concern in every single BJP-ruled state."

Further, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury has demanded a probe into the alleged role of the BJP leader's son.

What Has BJP Said?

The BJP has rubbished the allegations, calling them "politically motivated."

"The allegations are totally baseless and politically motivated as he (minister's son) was in Agartala when the incident took place in Kumarghat on 19 October. We, too, want all accused to get arrested."

Pabitra Chandra Debnath, BJP Unakoti District President, as quoted by PTI

Tripura Information and Cultural Affairs (ICA) Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said at a press conference on Wednesday that the allegations were made with vested interests, and that the police didn’t find any link between the minister’s son and the gang rape case, reported The Indian Expre

(With inputs from The Indian Express and Eastmojo)