‘Outsiders’ rumour: 75-year-old NRI, disabled daughter assaulted

The 75-year-old woman, a resident of Houston, USA, was visiting her daughter, a school teacher. They were on their way to a relative’s place when they stopped to ask for directions. Sensing trouble, the driver of the vehicle had attempted to roll up the windows, but this allegedly riled up the villagers.

“The three were beaten up. Windows were broken and the car was torched. It appears that the disabled woman’s clothes were ripped off, after which she was molested. The 45-year-old teaches in a school in the area,” said a police officer.

On getting information about the incident, officials from Balagarh police station reached the spot and rescued the women.

“They were initially taken to a primary health centre in Girat and later shifted to a nursing home at Kalyani in Nadia district,” said Barun Mitra, officer-in-charge of the police station. An FIR has been lodged under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.

“A rumour had been circulating that kidnappers are working in the area. This specific rumour mentioned outsiders and nothing else. The two had reached the village at around 4:30 pm and were stopped by locals,” added the officer.

The message circulated was similar to the one doing the rounds in Burdwan, which had claimed that “outsiders were roaming around in the area” looking “to trap children”.

On Friday, a contractual labourer had died after he and four others were lynched after arriving in Kalna for work.