State govt provides job to mother of Rajbanshi girl killed in 2023

Raiganj: Over 18 months after the alleged rape and murder of a minor Rajbanshi girl in Gangua, under Kaliyaganj Police Sstation of North Dinajpur, the bereaved family has received support from the state government. Sabitri Sarkar Barman, the mother of the victim, has been appointed as an attendant in the office of Kaliyaganj Block Land & Land Reforms department.

Surendra Kumar Meena, District Magistrate of North Dinajpur, handed over the appointment letter to Sabitri at the Kaliyaganj BDO office on Tuesday afternoon. This job comes as a significant relief to the family, which had been struggling financially since the tragedy. The initiative was spearheaded by Krishna Kalyani, MLA of Raiganj, who brought the family’s plight to the attention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Speaking to the media, Kalyani said: “After the girl’s death, both BJP and CPI(M) exploited the incident for political gains but abandoned the family later. When Sabitri approached me, I brought the issue to the Chief Minister’s notice. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promptly acted to provide the family with a livelihood.”

The incident had occurred on April 21, 2023, when the minor girl’s body was found near a pond in Gangua. The case led to public outrage, with locals clashing with police while they attempted to recover the body. The agitation turned violent, culminating in the torching of Kaliyaganj Police Station. In response, the state government provided Rs 8.25 lakh as compensation to the family. The family had also petitioned the Calcutta High Court for a CBI investigation into the case. Expressing her gratitude, Sabitri said: “We had no source of income.

When I approached Krishna Kalyani for help, he ensured that my family received permanent support.”