Rape and Murder of 11-Year-Old Girl Sparks Political Storm in West Bengal

The alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur, in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, which came to light on Sunday morning, has sparked a political storm in the state. The girl's body was found stuffed inside a sack in the Surjyapur Haat area, triggering protests by local residents on Sunday. Demonstrators blocked the Baruipur–Jaynagar Road, burnt tyres and vandalised several police vehicles while demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible. A 26-year-old suspect was allegedly lynched by an enraged mob demanding justice for the victim's family. Meanwhile, authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the Baruipur, Narendrapur and Sonarpur areas of South 24 Parganas to maintain law and order. Baruipur remained tense on Monday, a day after locals held a protest demanding the arrest of the accused. Police said the prime accused in the case, Ananda Sardar, was arrested on Monday following an overnight search operation. Earlier, two suspects had been arrested and three others detained for questioning. According to police, the names of the key accused emerged during the interrogation of the two suspects arrested on Sunday. Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke to the girl’s father and assured him of strict action. The CM would reportedly meet him on July 7. According to reports, CCTV footage showing a man wearing a blue cap accompanying the missing girl helped residents identify a suspect, whose alleged disclosure led to the recovery of the victim's body. The state government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Pinaki Dutta, to investigate the case.