Kolkata, July 3 (IANS) The family of the law college student, who became a victim of gang-rape within her college at Kasba in South Kolkata last week, has moved the Calcutta High Court, petitioning to be made parrty in the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

The first hearing on the PIL will be conducted at a division bench of the court later on Thursday.

The petitioners filing the public interest litigation, mostly advocates practising with the Calcutta High Court, did not make the victim’s family members parties in the case. The petitioners argued that since in their petition, they have nothing to hold or argue against the law college student, who is a victim in the matter, she or her family members were not made parties in the petition.

The argument of the victim’s family behind seeking to be a party in the PIL is that since the victim in this case is a member of the family they too have their right to present their argument in the matter and hence they want to be a party in the case to present their arguments in the matter.

As far as the latest information is available, the victim’s family prefers to keep faith in the investigation by Kolkata Police for some time instead of rushing for a CBI probe at this stage.

On Wednesday, the charge of the investigation in the case was handed over to the Detective Department of Kolkata Police.

The investigation was initiated by the local Kasba Police station, whose cops also arrested the three prime accused in the case within 24 hours of the time of lodging of a complaint by the victim on June 25 evening.

Later, a special investigating team (SIT) headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police-level officer was also constituted to probe the matter. However, on Wednesday, the higher authorities of the city police decided to hand over the charge of the probe to the Detective Department.

The PIL seeking a CBI probe in the matter was filed at the division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das on June 30.

The petitioners also sought a fast-track hearing in the matter. The division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das, on June 30, directed the petitioners to send notices to the other parties in the matter. Thereafter, notices were sent by the petitioners to all parties concerned except the family members of the victim.

–IANS

src/dpb