Harirampur: 2 held in separate rape and kidnapping cases

BALURGHAT: The Harirampur police cracked two major cases in the region this week. The police arrested two youths in separate cases of rape and abduction.

In the first case, a 32-year-old man, identified as Prasanta Mahato, was arrested on charges of raping a young woman in Harirampur. Police sources said the incident occurred on Monday night when the victim was alone at her residence. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused allegedly entered the house and assaulted her.

Hearing her cries for help, local residents rushed to the spot, apprehended the accused and handed him over to the police. A formal complaint was immediately lodged at Harirampur Police Station. Acting on the complaint, police booked Mahato under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced him before the Gangarampur Sub-Divisional Court on Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said the survivor has been provided necessary medical and legal support, while investigators are also verifying whether the accused had any prior criminal record. A senior officer of Harirampur Police Station confirmed: “The accused has been taken into custody and produced in court.

We have initiated a detailed investigation and strict legal action will follow.”

In a separate incident, police successfully rescued a 17-year-old minor girl who had been missing from Harirampur since August 28. The girl, a resident of Harirampur, went missing after leaving for her private tuition classes, leading her family to file a missing complaint the same evening at Harirampur Police Station.

A team led by Inspector-in-Charge (IC) Abhishek Talukder launched an investigation and based on specific inputs, traced the girl to East Bardhaman district. With the cooperation of the local police, the girl was rescued after five days and a 19-year-old youth, identified as Dip Mallick, was arrested in connection with the abduction. He was produced before the Gangarampur Sub-Divisional Court on Tuesday.

Police confirmed that the minor has been sent to a Home after a preliminary medical examination. IC Talukder said: “We worked in coordination with the local police in Bardhaman to rescue the girl. The accused has been arrested and legal action has been initiated.”