Police ‘rule out foul play’ for death of R G Kar rape convict Sanjoy Roy’s 11-year-old niece

According to police, they received information late on Sunday evening about a minor found hanging, who was later shifted to SSKM Hospital. An inquiry revealed that the victim’s stepmother, Puja Singh, had allegedly gone shopping for Diwali while the child was alone in their flat. When Puja returned and found the door “locked from inside”, she allegedly broke it open and discovered the child in a wardrobe. The child was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead. Police said no suicide note was found.

A senior police officer said, “No complaint has been received so far. Forensic examination of the place of occurrence has been conducted. Investigation is on and the parents are being questioned in the matter.”

Tension gripped the neighbourhood in Alipore, where the child lived with her father Bhola Singh, stepmother Puja Singh, and paternal grandmother. Bhola Singh was earlier married to Babita, Sanjoy Roy’s elder sister, who had died a few years ago. Bhola later married Puja, Sanjoy’s other sister, who works as a civic volunteer.

Neighbours allegedly assaulted the couple before police rescued them and took them to the local police station for questioning.

Residents alleged that the couple frequently abused the child. “They would beat the child for the smallest thing. If she fared badly in exams, they would beat her mercilessly. I have seen it with my own eyes,” alleged Nupur Dutta Sarkar, the child’s tuition teacher. The victim’s paternal grandmother Protima Singh claimed to mediapersons, “They would beat her with belts and tell her, ‘Why don’t you go where your mother has gone?’ If I tried to stop them, they would assault me too.”

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