Autopsy reveals sexual assault, drowning while alive in Bengal girl's death
The autopsy report of a 12-year-old schoolgirl, whose body was recovered from a pond in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, has revealed that she was sexually assaulted, burned, and thrown into the water while still alive, according to police sources.
The girl's body was found on Sunday, a day after she went missing. The report indicates that her private parts showed signs of severe injuries, including burns, and the back of her head had a blunt injury, likely from a blow or being hit against a hard surface, causing significant bleeding. Muddy water in her lungs suggests she was breathing when dumped in the pond. The cause of death is listed as excessive blood loss and suffocation from drowning, with the time of death believed to be Saturday night.
Police have registered charges under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for gangrape, murder, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy, as well as Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against three prime suspects. The accused were produced in court and remanded to custody.
Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is expected to visit the victim's family, has called for capital punishment for all those convicted in the case. The state government has yet to comment on the incident.
