Violence broke out in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, after a nine-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, raped, and murdered on her way home from a tuition class on Friday. Her body was discovered late that evening, with villagers accusing the police of initially refusing to file a missing person report. Authorities later arrested the accused, an 18-year-old man, within six hours.
Angry villagers attacked the police, ransacking the Mahishmari outpost and setting it on fire, accusing law enforcement of delayed action. The house of the accused was also targeted by the mob. In response, a large police force, including the rapid action force (RAF), was deployed to restore order. Police resorted to lathi charges and fired tear gas to control the situation.
The girl, a Class 4 student, went missing on her way home from tuition classes. “She had come to my shop around 5 pm, but when I got home, I was told she hadn’t returned. We immediately started searching and approached the police,” her grieving father told the media.
The victim’s uncle claimed that they were sent between police stations before a missing report was filed. “Had the police acted immediately, she might have been saved,” he said.
The accused, Mostakin Sardar, was identified from CCTV footage and arrested. He confessed to the crime and revealed the location of the girl’s body. The police, however, denied allegations of inaction, stating they had acted promptly after receiving the missing report and had worked closely with the family.
The accused has been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abduction and murder, as well as under the POCSO Act. An autopsy report is awaited to confirm if the victim was sexually assaulted.
After the girl’s body was found about a kilometer from her home, a mob of around 200 people attacked the Mahishmari police camp, setting fire to several rooms and two police motorcycles. When law enforcement arrived, they were met with resistance, resulting in injuries to at least 12 policemen. Women also took to the streets, armed with lathis, brooms, and kitchen utensils.
Ganesh Chandra Mondal, the TMC legislator from Kultali, and TMC MP Pratima Mondal faced angry protests from villagers. “I came to meet her parents, but the villagers protested, which is understandable. However, I need to meet them to understand their needs,” Mondal told the media.
As the girl’s body was taken to a morgue in Kolkata, political leaders, including BJP’s Agnimitra Paul and Priyanka Tibrewal, along with members of SFI and DYFI, gathered at the site, resulting in a scuffle between party workers and the police.