Bengal CM faces angry protests over nun gang rape

Kolkata, March 16 (IANS) Angry over the police's failure to arrest any of the dacoits who gang raped a nun in West Bengal's Nadia district, scores of locals on Monday stopped visiting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's convoy and staged a demonstration seeking action.

The nun at the Convent of Jesus and Mary High School in Ranaghat - some 80 km from Kolkata - was gang raped by the robbers in the early hours of Saturday.

Coming out of the Ranaghat Sub-Divisional Hospital after meeting the survivor, Banerjee's convoy was stopped by scores of angry protesters shouting "we want justice" and "we want CBI".

Repeated efforts by police officers and fathers of the convent to pacify the crowd proved futile.

A visibly upset Banerjee was seen talking angrily to the police officers present there.

Before leaving for Ranaghat, Banerjee held a meeting at the state secretariat in Kolkata and said that "strongest action" will be taken.

"No matter where the culprits are, strongest action will be taken against them. We have sent our best people for investigation and will catch the culprits soon," said Banerjee, who on Saturday ordered the CID to take over the probe.

Condemning the incident strongly, Banerjee assured that her government was giving very high priority to the "very sensitive" issue.