Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim and BJP MLA from Panihati, on Monday expressed anguish over the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal's Baruipur, saying the incident brought back painful memories of her own daughter's case.

Speaking to reporters, Debnath said she spent the entire night in tears after learning about the incident, adding that she could relate to the unimaginable grief the victim's parents were going through.

'It is heartbreaking. I cried the whole night because another family has been forced to suffer the same pain that we did,' she said.

Launching a political attack, Debnath held successive governments in West Bengal responsible for the growing number of crimes against women. She alleged that instead of focusing on education and healthcare, previous administrations had allowed gambling and alcohol addiction to spread among young people, creating conditions that fuel such crimes.

Her remarks came a day after she appealed to the BJP-led state government to ensure speedy justice in the RG Kar case.

Referring to assurances made after the party came to power, she said she still expected the government to fulfil its promise of delivering justice to her daughter.

Debnath maintained that everyone involved in the Baruipur case should face the strictest legal punishment.

At the same time, she criticised the killing of the prime accused by an angry mob, saying public outrage, however understandable, should not replace the legal process.

She said the anger seen in Baruipur reflected the frustration that had built up after the RG Kar case, with many people fearing that an accused handed over to the police might eventually escape punishment.

Even so, she stressed that taking the law into one's own hands was unacceptable and the accused should have been produced before the police.

Rejecting allegations that a local BJP leader was connected to the crime, Debnath claimed several Trinamool Congress workers had begun identifying themselves as BJP supporters following the party's recent electoral victory.

She also backed the police decision to prevent former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from visiting the victim's family, alleging that such visits would have served little purpose beyond announcing compensation while shielding those responsible.

Drawing parallels with the RG Kar case, Debnath accused Banerjee of failing to ensure justice when she was in power, questioning why the legal process had been delayed and why public money was allegedly spent defending the accused instead of supporting the victim's family.

She said people had lost faith in such actions and demanded exemplary punishment for those found guilty.

The case has triggered widespread outrage across West Bengal. According to police, the 12-year-old girl went missing on Saturday after leaving home to buy a birthday gift for a friend.

Her body was recovered the next day from inside a sack near a pond in the Surjyapur area of Baruipur after one of the suspects allegedly revealed its location.

The suspect was later beaten by an enraged crowd and died from his injuries. Police have since arrested four people in connection with the case and detained local BJP worker Shantanu Mandal as part of the investigation.

The incident has also sparked a political confrontation, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that Mamata Banerjee was prevented from visiting the victim's family, while Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke to the girl's father and assured that those responsible would be brought to justice.