West Bengal nun gangrape case: Police detain 5; Catholic body demands protection for minorities

Kolkata: Five people have been detained by police in connection with the gang-rape of a 72-year-old nun in West Bengal's Ranaghat.

An elderly nun of a convent school in Nadia’s Ranaghat was gangraped by a group of miscreants who also looted several lakhs. The heinous crime sent shock waves in the state.

Angered by the incident, parents of children who study in Convent of Jesus and Mary High School and the common people came out on the streets in protest. They blocked National Highway 34 and railway tracks at Ranaghat station for several hours.

Expressing anguish and anger over the crime, chief minister Mamata Banerjee immediately handed over the investigation of the case to the CID. “We strongly condemn the incident that took place at the Ranaghat convent. We have ordered a CID probe.

The government will take strong steps against the culprit. The CID will be examining all aspects to this horrific crime. Swift, strongest action to be taken,” said a statement from the chief minister. Sources said she also spoke to ADG CID Rajeev Kumar and told him to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. Mr Kumar despatched a special CID team to Ranaghat.

The Catholic Bishop Conference of India (CBCI) on Sunday condemned the gang-rape of a 72-year-old nun in West Bengal and said that the government must give protection to the minorities.

"We are saddened by this incident. We contacted the archbishop of Kolkata and he told us that the chief minister has assured action. Recently we have witnessed all these church vandalizing incidents but this is the worst. Our demand to the government is to give protection to the minorities ," said the spokesperson of CBCI, Dr Joseph Chinnayyan