Several revelations have been made in the rape and murder case of the minor sister of the BJP booth president in Chopragaj area in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal on July 19. In the midst of allegations and counter-allegations, West Bengal police have now arrested the father and two brothers of the 15-year-old girl, whose death had triggered widespread protests in the adjoining areas.
Sachin Makkar, superintendent of police, Islampur police district, said: “We have arrested the father and two brothers of the girl based on the complaint of the youth’s father,” reports Hindustan Times.
The prime accused Firoze Ali found dead, BJP alleges an attempt to cover up the girl’s death
Yesterday, the corpse of a young man had been recovered from Nayanjuli in Chopragaj, an area adjoining the crime scene where the corpse of the sister of the BJP booth President was found. After locals identified the dead body to be that of ruling TMC worker Feroze Ali’s, the primary accused in the rape and murder case of the 16-year-old girl, the youth’s family lodged a complaint against the deceased girl’s family members, accusing them of the murder. Following the complaint, the West Bengal police had picked up the kin of the deceased minor girl.
As per reports, Feroze Ali had been missing ever since the heinous crime was committed. BJP had pinned the blame of the rape and murder on the local TMC worker.
After the youth’s dead body was found submerged in water, TMC district president Kanaia Lal Agarwal claimed that the duo died by suicide. “The girl and the youth knew each other and went to the same private tutor. They probably committed suicide as they felt that their families might not accept their relationship,” Agarwal said.
The girl’s family had vehemently rejected these claims maintaining that his daughter was regularly harassed by the youth and he raped and murdered her. Meanwhile, BJP alleged that this was a conspiracy hatched by the ruling party to cover up the girl’s death.
The ‘hushed’ autopsy reports
Yesterday we reported, how in a bizarre turn of events, the West Bengal police had ruled out the charges of rape. Following the revelation by the Dinajpur police on Sunday night that the deceased 16-year-old minor was not subjected to any ‘physical or sexual assault’, questions are now being raised about the ‘hushed’ autopsy report and the trend in West Bengal to classify mysterious causes of death as ‘suicide’.
Meanwhile, the tension in the area still remained palpable. After the news of the heinous crime gained traction, locals had turned the Chopragaj area into a battlefield, Angry locals torched three government buses and two police vehicles and vandalised a number of other vehicles Sunday. Shouting “we want justice,” the mob also attacked policemen. The BJP supporters protested against the heinous crime by blocking the National Highway-31. At least 30 people, including some police personnel, were injured in the pitched battles. Police have also arrested 22 people in connection with Sunday’s arson and clashes.
The Chopragaj rape and murder case
In what transpired on July 19, the 15-year-old sister of a BJP booth President went missing. She was reportedly taken to an abandoned place near Chopragaj in Sonarpur Gram Panchayat. The 10th std student was then, allegedly raped and poisoned by the perpetrators. The criminals fled the scene after dumping her body at the abandoned place which is located close to her house. She was found in an unconscious state at the deserted place. She was rushed to a primary healthcare centre in Chopragaj’s Dalua block. When her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to Islampur Sub-Divisional Hospital where she was declared dead.
