Violent protest erupts after girl's body found in Bengal

The body of a 10-year-old girl was found in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, triggering arson at a police outpost by locals who alleged that the minor was raped and murdered, a senior officer said.

Villagers said the minor had been missing since Friday evening and the police "did not act on their complaint immediately".

As the body of the girl was recovered by locals from marshy land in Jaynagar area early this morning, a mob torched the Mahismari police outpost and pelted the policemen with stones.

They also vandalised several vehicles parked outside the outpost and the policemen were forced to leave the premises, a senior officer said.

A huge police force was sent to the area and tear gas shells were fired to quell the mob which tried to confine the SDPO and other senior personnel at the spot.

"The family members of the girl lodged an FIR at the Mahismari outpost in the area but the police did not act on the complaint immediately," a local claimed.

The police responded in the "same manner" as they did after the body of a woman doctor was found at R G Kar hospital in August, another villager said.

"We will continue our agitation till all those accused in the rape and murder of our minor daughter are arrested and convicts are punished. We also demand action against those who responded to the complaint late, which might have resulted in her death. Had the police acted promptly, the girl could have been rescued," Ganesh Dolui, a villager, said.

The police, however, said the action was taken immediately after the complaint was received and an accused was arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the girl.

"After lodging of FIR at 9 pm on Friday, the police swung into action and arrested an accused this morning after an initial probe. Investigation is on and we are with the family of the deceased. Those involved in the arson at the police outpost and destroying of all important documents will be identified and action will be taken against them," the official added.

Kultali TMC MLA Ganesh Mondal was chased away by the villagers when he went to the spot to pacify the locals who accused him of trying to support the "police inaction".

Mondal later told reporters that he understood the grievances and anger of the people of the area but they should not take the law in their hands.

"I have requested the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and frame charges against the accused,” he said.

TMC MP from Jaynagar Pratima Mondal was greeted with a ‘go back' slogan by a section of people when she went to Padmerhat Rural Hospital where the body of the girl was taken for autopsy.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, former state minister and CPI(M) leader Kanti Ganguly and DYFI leader Meenakshi Mukherjee went to the hospital separately and got engaged in heated arguments with police officials when they wanted to meet the family of the deceased.

Paul demanded that the body of the girl be preserved and the autopsy be done at "a neutral hospital which will not be influenced by the ruling party".

She also demanded that a magisterial probe be ordered into the incident.

Mukherjee demanded that all the outsiders be moved out of the room where the girl's body had been taken and the movement of people to the room must be videographer "so that the evidence cannot be tampered with like what happened in the R G Kar incident".

Mondal said she would stay at the hospital to meet the parents of the deceased and hear what they want.

"I am not being allowed to meet the parents by the crowd. But I have been a grassroots political worker for a long. I cannot be forced to leave. Let me talk to the family first," she said.

As demanded by the BJP and the CPI (M), the body of the girl was finally taken to a morgue in Kolkata for subsequent autopsy at a hospital.

Expressing shock over the incident, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, "A Class 4 girl was forcibly lifted, raped and murdered while returning from tuition. The women of Bengal are not safe. They are being killed even during Devi Paksha (the 15-day period heralding the advent of goddess Durga since Mahalaya)."

"West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has failed to ensure the safety of women," he said on X.

Meanwhile, the BJP held a demonstration in Salt Lake area against the alleged rape and murder of the girl and raised slogan 'Dhikkar Dhikkar' (we condemn) against police personnel present at the spot.