Chopra minor death case: Minister assures victim's family of all support

Kolkata: The police are conducting a probe to explore every possibility that include social ostracism or pressure from any corner that might have led to the unnatural death of the 16-year-old girl at Chopra in North Dinajpur.

Incidentally, the body of a youth has also been found on Monday morning in a pond close to the place where the girl's body was recovered 24 hours ago.

Though a section of local people claimed that the youth was the prime suspect of the girl's unnatural death, police suspect after preliminary investigation that the boy too committed suicide. Local people had claimed that the girl was raped and murdered, but the post mortem report had revealed that her death was due to "effect of poison" and there was no sign of sexual or physical assault. The youth was a resident of the same village and was known to the girl. Police have also come to know about an affair between them. The police have taken statements of the girl's father, elder brother and uncle on Monday evening.

The West Bengal Police on Monday tweeted in this connection stating: "Today in the Chopra Police Station area of Islampur PD, the dead body of a young boy has been recovered from a pond of the same area where a young girl died yesterday of poisoning. Inquest has been done by a magistrate and videography of the post mortem will be done."

The tweet also read: "Police are investigating both the cases and looking into all possible aspects of the incident including social ostracism, parental pressure and the role played by some persons in hiding, misleading and diverting the attention from the actual incident."

A delegation led by the state Tourism Minister Gautam Deb visited the girl's house on Monday. Other Trinamool Congress leaders including Mausam Noor, Golam Rabbani and Kanaialal Agarwal accompanied Deb who assured all support to the victim's family members.

He urged them not to find any political colour in the incident as police will surely get them justice.

The incident had led to major deterioration of law and order situation in the area on

Sunday.

A large contingent of police was posted at the area since Sunday to avoid further deterioration of the law and order situation. The police had to stop a delegation of BJP leaders from entering the area apprehending trouble as veiled tension prevailing in the area on Sunday.