Clashes erupted in West Bengal after a minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered by unidentified miscreants at Kaliaganj in the Uttar Dinajpur district on Friday.
Local people found the body of the teenage girl, who was missing since Thursday evening, floating in the waters of a canal this morning, an official said. The girl, a resident of Gangua village of the district, went missing on Thursday evening after she went for her tuition classes and could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and local people.
When police went to recover the girl's body, the local people resisted demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, the officer said. Local people also put up road blockades, burnt tyres and allegedly pelted stones at police, he said. "We had to lathi-charge and fire tear gas shells to control the mob. We are trying to bring the situation under control. A probe into the matter is on," the officer added.
Meanwhile, the state BJP chief and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar visited the victim's family today and alleged the police were incapable of investigating the incident. They were reportedly stopped by the police from visiting the town.
The BJP attacked the Congress over the incident. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged "lawlessness" in the state and held the state police "responsible" for the crime.
Posting a video of locals guarding a body covered by a white sheet, the senior BJP leader also alleged that the police were busy in making security arrangements for the proposed trip of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to the district next month.
In subsequent tweets, the BJP leader also accused the police of 'suppressing information and diluting evidence'.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognisance of the incident. A fact-finding team is expected to visit the area to conduct an inquiry.
(With inputs from PTI)
