Kolkata, 06 July (H.S.): Police on Monday arrested the prime accused, Ananda Sardar, in connection with the murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur of South 24 Parganas district, taking the total number of arrests in the case to three. Prabhas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar had been arrested earlier, while several others are being questioned by the police.

The West Bengal Police has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the gruesome crime. Acting jointly, the Special Task Force (STF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Baruipur Police District arrested the main accused from the Baruipur area. He is expected to be produced before a court on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assured that those responsible for the crime would face the strictest punishment. He said he had spoken to the victim's father and invited him to Bhawani Bhavan on Tuesday. The Chief Minister added that the bereaved family had sought justice and that the state government would extend all possible assistance to them.

Adhikari said four cases have so far been registered in connection with the incident. These include the girl's murder, the lynching of a suspected accused by an enraged mob, assault on police personnel, and the blockade of railway tracks. However, all three persons arrested so far have been booked in the murder case.

The Chief Minister also said the alleged communal angle behind the mob lynching was being investigated. Referring to the damage caused to railway infrastructure during the violence, he claimed that the incidents resembled the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019 and the recent demonstrations against the Waqf Act. He further stated that two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured and a police vehicle was set on fire during the unrest.

The 12-year-old girl had been missing since Saturday. Her body was recovered from a pond on Sunday, triggering widespread outrage in the area. Following the discovery, an angry mob allegedly lynched a suspect and staged protests by blocking roads and railway tracks, severely disrupting normal life. Police and Central forces were deployed to restore order.

To maintain law and order, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been imposed in the Baruipur, Narendrapur and Sonarpur areas, where a heavy police presence continues.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh