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Violence erupts after Bengal girl, 9, allegedly raped, murdered on way home

Oct 05, 2024 04:28 PM IST

Police said they arrested the accused within six hours and they are waiting for the autopsy report to confirm whether there was any sexual assault on the victim before the murder

Violence erupted at Joynagar in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday after a nine-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped, raped and murdered on her way back home after attending a tuition class on Friday. Her body was found late on Friday and the villagers alleged that police initially refused to lodge a missing person report. Police said they arrested the accused, an 18-year-old, within six hours.

Irate villagers block a road as they stage a protest after the alleged murder of a 9-year-old girl in Kultali area of South 24 Parganas district on Saturday. (PTI)
Irate villagers block a road as they stage a protest after the alleged murder of a 9-year-old girl in Kultali area of South 24 Parganas district on Saturday. (PTI)

Irate villagers attacked cops, ransacked the Mahishmari police outpost and set it on fire, alleging that the police were initially dilly-dallying. The accused’s house was also ransacked.

Later a large police contingent, including the rapid action force (RAF), were deployed to bring the situation under control. Police had to resort to lathi charge and fire tear gas.

Locals said that the girl, a student of Class 4, had gone to attend tuition classes on Friday afternoon. She, however, went missing on her way back home.

“She had come to my shop in the local market around 5pm while returning home from tuition classes. But when I reached home late evening, I was told that she hadn’t returned. We soon started searching for her and also approached the police,” her father told the media while crying inconsolably.

“When we went to the Mahismari police camp, we were told to approach the Joynagar police station. At Joynagar police station we were told that the area falls under Kultali police station. Had the police reacted promptly, the child wouldn’t have met this fate,” the victim’s uncle said.

Police said that a local youth, Mostakin Sardar, who was last seen with the child in CCTV footage, was arrested. On grilling, he confessed to the crime and identified the area where he dumped the body.

“We received information around 9pm on Friday. An abduction case was registered. The accused was arrested around 3am on Saturday and he has confessed to the crime. But when police went to the village around 3.30am to recover the body, villagers staged a protest,” Palash Chandra Dhali, Baruipur district superintendent of police told media persons.

He, however, refuted the charges of police inaction saying that after receiving the missing person report police had taken each and every step promptly.

“We have everything on record. Wild allegations against the police were being spread. The inspector-in-charge was himself present. We have taken all steps promptly and have supported the family throughout. We will ensure that the accused gets capital punishment,” he added.

The accused has been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with abduction and murder, police said. He was also charged under the POCSO Act.

“We are waiting for the autopsy report to confirm whether there was any sexual assault on the victim before the murder,” said an officer.

Violence erupted after the girl’s body was recovered at a distance of around 1 km from her house.

A 200-strong mob ransacked the two-storey Mahishmari camp and set some rooms on fire. Two motorcycles belonging to the cops were also set on fire outside the camp along with some furniture.

When a police contingent reached the spot, cops were heckled, and some were beaten up. At least 12 policemen were injured. Women hit the streets with lathis, brooms, sandals and kitchen utensils.

Ganesh Chandra Mondal, the TMC legislator from Kultali, was also chased away by the irate villagers. They also shouted “go-back” slogans when Pratima Mondal, TMC MP from Joynagar, reached the spot to meet the victim’s parents.

“The incident is very unfortunate. I came to meet her parents. But the villagers did not allow me to go in. They staged protests, which is very normal. But I need to meet the parents and know what they want,” Mondal told media persons.

In the evening when the victim’s body was taken to a morgue in Kolkata, leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Agnimitra Paul and Priyanka Tibrewal, reached the place. The supporters of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), teh student and youth wings of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), also reached the morgue. A scuffle broke out between the police and the political party workers.

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