RANAGHAT, India, March 19 (UPI) -- With tensions high in the Indian state of West Bengal, following the alleged gang-rape and brutal assault of an elderly nun last weekend, government leaders have asked federal investigators to take over the case.
Mamata Banerjee, the state's chief minister, said the Central Bureau of Investigation will open a probe into the attack at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School. The move comes as the National Human Rights Commission called for a full report of the incident to be completed in two weeks.
To date, 10 people have been questioned in the case, but there have been no arrests.
"Considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the case, I have decided to entrust investigation of the case to CBI," Banerjee said on Twitter.
The assault happened Saturday after several men broke into the convent and school and ransacked and robbed the church. Investigators said the men tied up two nuns and a guard, while the other nun, who is in her 70s, was raped. She is in a hospital in Calcutta in stable condition.
Some of the suspects have been identified through closed-circuit cameras.
The attack launched further outrage in India, with members of parliament shouting, "We demand justice." The incident has also sparked fear among Christians in India, who worry they are being targeted for religious reasons.
