4-year-old girl kidnapped, raped in West Bengal; probe launched
What's the story
A four-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped in West Bengal's Hooghly district near Kolkata. The incident took place on Friday when the girl was sleeping beside her grandmother at a railway shed in Tarakeshwar. She was found unconscious with injury marks near a drain on Saturday afternoon, news agency PTI reported. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of law, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Abduction details
Attacker allegedly cut mosquito net to take child away
The girl, who belongs to the Banjara community, was sleeping under a mosquito net on a cot with her grandmother when she was kidnapped. The victim's family alleged that the attacker slit open the mosquito net to take the child away. The girl's grandmother did not realize her granddaughter had been taken until later.
Discovery details
Girl found lying unconscious near drain
After hours of searching for the girl, she was found lying unconscious near a drain beside Tarakeshwar railway station. She was then rushed to Tarakeshwar Gramin Hospital and later referred to Chandannagar sub-divisional hospital for further treatment. Parna Adak, secretary of the BJP's Arambagh district, said the child was found naked with bite marks on her cheek and still bleeding from her genitals despite hours of treatment.
Allegations
Hospital staff accused of mishandling case
The girl's family has accused Tarakeshwar Gramin Hospital staff of mishandling the case. They alleged that hospital authorities failed to immediately inform the police about the situation and discharged their daughter without proper treatment. When they approached the police later, officials allegedly asked them to leave.
Political reaction
Tarakeshwar MLA calls incident 'extremely regrettable'
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government for allegedly burying the crime. He called Banerjee a "failed chief minister" and said her regime has "hit rock bottom." Tarakeshwar MLA Ramendu Singha Roy called the incident "extremely regrettable" and pointed to a "security failure" by Railway Police. He clarified that the family may have left earlier out of confusion over medical treatment, but administration later ensured necessary arrangements were made.