12-Year-Old Girl Found Murdered in West Bengal; Mob Kills Suspect, Four Arrested
A 12-year-old girl's body was discovered stuffed in a sack in Baruipur, near Kolkata, West Bengal, on Sunday, triggering violent protests by local residents who beat a suspect to death. Police have arrested four individuals in connection with the crime.
The girl had been missing since Saturday after leaving home to buy a gift for a friend. Her family alleged that four people forcibly took her away. Her body was found the following day in a sack, leading to immediate tension in the area. Angry locals staged protests, blocking roads, burning tyres, and damaging police vehicles.
The blockade was lifted after Inspector General of Police, Presidency Range, Kankerprasad Barui assured the crowd that strict action would be taken against those responsible. “No one will be spared,” Barui said, adding that he would meet the girl's parents on Monday.
Police said the suspect killed by the mob was beaten on suspicion of rape and murder. The four arrested individuals are being questioned. An autopsy will determine if the girl was sexually assaulted.
Political reactions followed swiftly. The Trinamool Congress, now in opposition, criticized the state's law and order situation under the BJP government. Party chief Mamata Banerjee claimed she was effectively placed under house arrest, with heavy police deployment outside her residence preventing her from visiting the victim's family. “We are put on house arrest in order to stop me from going there. Deployment of police proves that,” she said, questioning the need for such force when no prohibitory orders were in place.
Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee posted on social media, accusing the BJP of failing on its promise of women's safety. Speaking with the girl's mother, he sought details about the arrested individuals. The mother expressed concern that one previously arrested person had been released by police.
State authorities have not commented on the political allegations. Police have urged calm and assured a thorough investigation.
