Kolkata: West Bengal Police Monday arrested the key accused in the alleged rape-murder of a girl in South 24 Parganas district’s Baruipur, taking the total number of apprehended persons in the case to three, a senior officer said.
The accused, identified as Anand Sardar, was picked up by the Baruipur district police from the town’s market area in the afternoon following a search operation, he said.
“Sardar, who is the prime accused in the case, has been arrested. He was traced and apprehended from the Baruipur market area. With his arrest, the total number of persons arrested in connection with the case has gone up to three,” the police officer told PTI.
The accused was traced through his mobile phone tower location, he added.
He would be produced before a local court and taken into police custody for further interrogation, he said.
A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the matter, he said.
One person was arrested last night, while another was nabbed this morning.
“We have also detained three others. Our officers are questioning them for more details. In fact, we got to know about the prime accused’s role in the crime as well as his possible location,” the officer said.
The body of the girl, who had gone missing July 4, was found stuffed in a sack in Surjyapur Haat area, triggering a protest by locals who blocked the Baruipur-Joynagar Road, burnt tyres and damaged a few police vehicles, demanding the arrest of the accused persons.
Hours after the girl’s body was recovered Sunday, a man was beaten to death by angry locals on suspicion of involvement in the girl’s death.
The local administration imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in Baruipur, Narendrapur and Sonarpur areas of South 24 Parganas to maintain law and order following tension over the crime.
“The situation is under control, but prohibitory orders have been imposed as a preventive measure to ensure that law and order is maintained.
Adequate police deployment has been made in the affected areas,” another senior police officer said.
“We appeal to the public not to pay heed to rumours and to cooperate with the administration. Strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to disturb peace,” the officer added.
The police Monday added charge of gangrape to the case even as a court remanded the two persons arrested earlier to 14-day police custody.
The case has now been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the officer said.
The next hearing has been scheduled for July 20.
“The case was initially registered on charges of kidnapping the minor. The accused have been booked under the BNS sections relating to rape, gangrape, murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy, besides relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and sections dealing with the kidnapping of a minor,” he said.
The investigation was underway, and the accused were being questioned to establish the complete sequence of events, the officer said.
Several forensic procedures are still pending, and custodial interrogation is necessary to verify the sequence of events and ascertain the role of each accused, another senior police officer said.
He said that the addition of charges, including the gangrape, is based on material that has emerged during the investigation.
“We are pursuing the case on priority and ensuring that every piece of evidence is examined in accordance with the law,” he added.
