15-year-old was raped and strangled: Postmortem report

The police had initially registered a case of murder and not rape, which led to the face off between police and the victim’s family. The family, along with villagers, had refused to hand over the girl’s body unless the police included rape charge against the accused besides abduction and murder.

An in-camera hearing of her father was conducted by the judge of Kakdwip sub-divisional court in the morning, said police. “She was strangled after being raped. There were injury marks on her private parts as well,” said a senior police official.

South 24 Parganas district SP Sunil Chowdhury said the accused, Gopal Hazra, was in police custody and it is suspected that he was the lone attacker and murderer. “A gangrape charge has been added to the FIR. We can’t reveal if the accused has given out any more names or has admitted of committing the crime, as investigation is still on,” he added.
Hazra had reportedly confessed to raping and killing the Class X student after abducting her on Friday night when she was returning home from her tutor’s house. Her body was found the next day near the accused’s house, police said, adding that the victim’s father had mentioned the accused’s name in the FIR. Hazra’s house was also ransacked by the angry villagers.
On Monday, there was tension in the area as locals organised a rally to the Coastal police station, demanding death penalty for the accused. “We don’t want any political intervention but the offenders should be booked… A CID probe is required because we don’t have any faith on the local police,” said local.

BJP MLA Samik Bhattacharya, who went to the village on Monday, also had to face angry locals. “We have not come here for any political purpose. We have come to stand by the victim’s family. I think everyone, irrespective of any political affiliation, should extend their hands of cooperation to the family during this grave crisis,” Bhattacharya said.

A PIL had been filed at the Calcutta High Court by one Anindya Sundar Das. “Police had earlier refused to lodge a complaint. We don’t believe the investigation will be proper. We demand a CID probe into the matter under court supervision. We also demand that the state government gives the girls’ family a compensation of Rs 20 lakh,” he said.

Meanwhile, examinations at the school, where the victim used to study, have been postponed. “Classes V and VI students were supposed to sit for tests today. But we have decided to cancel the same to express our solidarity with the girl and her family,” said a teacher.
On Monday, locals paid homage to the deceased by lighting candles at the spot where the body was found on November 21. At the district court, lawyers urged that no one should take up the defence of the accused.

Meanwhile, a 12-hour bandh was observed in Kakdwip town against the incident on Monday. Eight shops, which had not downed shutters, were ransacked by bandh supporters.