North Dinajpur: Violence erupts over alleged murder and rape of minor

Kolkata: Police vans and three buses were torched followed by road block on National Highway 31 during an agitation protesting against an incident in which the body of

a 16-year-old girl was found near her house at Chopra in North Dinajpur on Sunday morning.

Though the victim's family members alleged that she was raped and murdered allegedly by some local goons, the police stated that the post mortem report revealed that the cause of death is due to "effect of poison" and no injury marks anywhere on her body was found. At the same time there was no sign of sexual or physical assault.

Interestingly, according to the police no complaint was lodged with the police in this connection despite "law and order problem has been created over the issue". However, local people claimed that a complaint was lodged with Chopra Police station in this connection.

In a tweet, the state police has stated in this connection that "Today morning Islampur PD received a reliable information about the death of an young girl of Chopra PS area. Family members or

any other associated persons didn't inform Police. Police contacted the family and sent the body for Post Mortem. Inquest by a magistrate and videography of the Post Mortem was done..."

Police initially came to know that the girl went missing on Saturday evening and her family members did not find her out despite all efforts. She was missing the entire night and some local people found her body adjacent to her house in Sunday morning. Aadhaar Card, a mobile-phone and an umbrella were found beside the victim's body.

A section of local people claimed that the school goer was raped and murdered. Subsequently, local people put up a road block on the crucial National Highway 31 that connects Kolkata to Siliguri. The situation turned worse as the protestors engaged in a scuffle with the police when the latter tried to disperse the mob. Tension ran high as the police was forced to resort to lathicharge and fire tear gas shells finding that the mob was setting the vehicles on fire. The law and order problem continued in the area for a few hours.

Later, a large contingent of police led by additional police superintendent of North Dinajpur Kartik Chandra

Mondal and inspector-in-charge of Chopra police station Vinod Gozmer reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem to Raiganj hospital after assuring proper probe in this connection. A local resident said that their agitation will continue till they get justice. State Tourism minister Goutam Deb assured justice to the victim's family.