Cops add rape charge after protests over girl’s killing

Three days after a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district, police formally pressed charges of rape.

The police action came after family members and neighbours of the girl, a student of Class 10, on Sunday staged demonstration and blockaded traffic, accusing police of refusing to register a rape case despite receiving a complaint. 

“We have pressed charges of the rape against a 24-year-man who has been arrested in this connection,” sub-divisional police officer Shib Prasad Patra said on Monday. 

Patra said rape was included in the charges following the post-mortem examination report which indicted sexual assault on the victim.

The officer said rape was not included in the charges as the family members had not mentioned about the offence in the initial complaint.

The girl went missing on November 20 while returning home from her tuition classes. Her semi-naked body was found near a water body later in the night.

South 24 Parganas district superintendent of police Sunil Chowdhury said the accused was in police custody and it is suspected that he was the lone attacker and murderer. Meanwhile, a 12-hour bandh was observed in Kakdwip town against the incident on Monday. Eight shops, that had not downed their shutters, were ransacked by bandh supporters.