Hooghly, 18 January (H.S.): Another case of sexual assault on a minor girl has surfaced in Uttarpara area of Hooghly district. The accused allegedly lured the minor girl to his house on Saturday afternoon under the pretext of showing her a rooftop garden. He then sexually assaulted her and attempted to rape her. Upon learning of the incident, local residents apprehended the accused and severely beat him. Uttarpara police arrived at the scene and took the accused into custody.

According to the allegations, the son of a former deceased Trinamool Congress councillor in Uttarpara called the minor girl to his house. The girl's father alleged that the accused lured his daughter to the second floor under the pretext of showing her a rooftop garden. When the accused attempted to rape her, the girl managed to escape. The police subsequently rescued the accused and took him to the police station

On Saturday night, local residents surrounded the police station, alleging that no action was being taken against the accused. Local BJP and CPM leaders were also present. They protested against such incidents in Uttarpara.

District BJP leader Pankaj Roy said, Trinamool leaders have turned West Bengal into a rape hub. Recently, a minor girl was gang-raped in Hindmotor. A Trinamool Congress worker's name came up in that case, and now the son of a former deceased Trinamool Congress councillor is accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl. This is extremely shameful.

Former CPM MLA Shrutinath Praharaj said, The accused is the son of a former Trinamool councillor. Therefore, attempts were being made to suppress the entire matter. We have come to the police station to ensure that this case is not suppressed in any way. We will see this through to the end.

However, the accused's son said after the incident, My father is innocent. He is fond of children. Meanwhile, local residents protested against the entire incident and demanded strict punishment for the accused.

Notably, on January 8, a minor girl was allegedly raped in a closed factory in Hindmotor. A young Trinamool Congress worker and two of his friends were accused in that incident. The police arrested four people, including the minor girl's friend, in connection with the case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey