newspop
WestBengal: A 12-year-old schoolgirl was found dead in a pond near Surjyapur Haat in West Bengal’s Baruipur on Sunday, a day after she reportedly went missing. Police have registered a murder case and said rape charges will be added if confirmed by the post-mortem findings.
The discovery of the girl’s body triggered widespread outrage, with hundreds of locals taking to the streets demanding immediate arrests. Protesters blocked roads and railway tracks, torched vehicles and clashed with police and central forces, leaving several personnel injured.
During the unrest, an alleged suspect, identified as 26-year-old Indrajit Tanti, was spotted by the crowd. Before security personnel could safely evacuate him, he was assaulted by the mob. Although police later rescued him, he succumbed to his injuries. A separate FIR has been registered in connection with the lynching.
Another accused, Prabash Mondal, was rescued by police from the crowd, questioned and subsequently arrested. Authorities have also registered a separate case over the attacks on police personnel and damage to public property during the violence.
A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by an Additional Superintendent of Police, has been formed to investigate the case. Senior officers appealed for calm, assuring residents that all those involved would be brought to justice.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke with the victim’s father over the phone and assured him that no accused would be spared. The family has been asked to meet the chief minister in Kolkata on July 7.
By Sunday afternoon, protesters withdrew the road and rail blockades after repeated appeals from the police, allowing train services to resume. RAF and central forces later carried out flag marches in the area to restore normalcy, while the girl’s post-mortem examination was conducted at Kolkata’s Katapukur Morgue.
