Nine-year-old girl raped and murdered in S 24 Parganas

Kolkata: Tension ran high in West Bengal’s 24-Parganas district Jaynagar after the discovery of the body of a 9-year-old girl in the wee hours on Saturday, allegedly raped and murdered after being abducted, official sources said.

The body was found in a marshy land around 3 AM after remaining missing since Friday evening when she went for private tuition.

The discovery of the body led to sporadic violence at Mahishmati market village when the locals set fire to a police outpost and vandalised police vans in the morning hours prompting the police to the deployment of combat forces to take control of the situation.

The Superintendent of Police, Baruipur, said they swung into action at around 9 PM and arrested a suspect- Mustaque- around 0030 AM and recovered the body at around 3 AM.

He said the suspect confessed to the crime.

The girl had been missing since Friday evening and villagers alleged that she was raped and murdered, accusing the police of not acting on their initial complaint.

The angry locals also attacked the police camp at Mahismari and hurled stones at them forcing them to retreat before the combat forces were deployed to restore the order.

A large police force was dispatched, and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd that tried to corner senior police personnel on site.

“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.” alleged the victim’s father.

 He said her daughter had gone for tuition and when did not return they tried to call the police to act immediately.

A report said the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognisance of the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl.

NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo said that appropriate actions are being initiated in this regard.