A girl who had gone out to attend a coaching class was allegedly kidnapped and murdered in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Large-scale anger and protests erupted among the people over the incident, which worsened with the vandalization and burning of a police camp in the area by the demonstrators.
While the police await a post-mortem report, BJP has accused this incident as a case of both rape and murder; it also attacked the Trinamool Congress-led state government over the alleged mishandling of the case. Already, the administration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is under attack due to the alleged mishandling of the incident involving the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in August at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The local police said on Saturday that a Class-X girl had gone to her coaching class in Mahishamari on Friday. When she did not return home, her family members lodged a missing complaint in the evening. Her body was found in a field around 3:30 am on Saturday with multiple injuries. The startling disclosure thus sparked angry demonstrations among the locals with more violence and the torching of a police camp.
The girl’s father stated that she had told him she would return home after school. When she did not, the family contacted the local police outpost in the vicinity, from where they were transferred to the police station. The police initiated the probe promptly after the complaint was filed.
In this connection, the police arrested a 19-year-old youth, Mostakin Sardar, for his alleged role in the kidnapping and murder. The arrest seems not to impact active protesters in the streets, prompting a heavy deployment of police to prevent further deterioration.
Union Minister and BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar claimed she was raped and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Banerjee. Sukanta Majumdar criticized the state’s administration: “With Durga Puja celebrations just days away, such crimes against innocent girls highlight that Mamata Banerjee has lost control over the administration, which has become entirely political.
The police have clarified, however, that the confirmation of rape is subject to the result of the post-mortem report pending.
