HC takes on record status report in four rape cases

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday took on record the status report filed by state government in connection with rape cases in Deganga, Matia, English Bazar and Bansdroni.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Rajarshi Bharadwaj, had asked IPS officer Damayanti Sen (now the special commissioner of Kolkata police) to oversee the probe in Deganga, Matia, English Bazar and Bansdroni rape cases.

Sen was in-charge of the detective department in Kolkata Police when the Park Street Rape case was cracked. "It is essential to protect the identity of the witnesses," underscored the Bench.

Advocate General S.N Mookherjee on Wednesday apprised the Bench that Sen has intimated that she has no difficulty in supervising the investigation into these cases. The Court also instructed the Advocate General to supply a copy of the status report to the petitioner after redacting the names of the witnesses,family members and victims within a period of two days.