Asim Kumar Pramanik
BEHRAMPORE, 30 NOV: An eight year-old girl, missing since Friday evening, allegedly died due to night-long torture by unidentified criminals triggering massive protest at Maheshnagar village of Farakka area in Murshidabad district where the girl’s disrobed body was recovered on Saturday.
Yesterday, the minor girl’s neighbors including women and students of the locality held a protest march and paraded with placards on roads demanding justice and accusing the local police of inaction, sources said.
The girl’s family alleged that she was tortured like anything and her disrobed body was dumped in the river Ganges at Farakka. Her father, Jakir Sheikh was Delhi-based migrant labourer who lost job during the Covid-19 pandemic last year and came back home at Farakka, the area known for NTPC’s super thermal power project and Farakka Barrage Project of the union government.
She was tortured to death, alleged her father, Jakir Sheikh. “I found my daughter’s body naked when she was recovered. I held her in my arms. There were injury marks all around her neck. She was assaulted physically and dumped in the river as she surrendered to torture. Beasts of the forest are better than the criminals who did it. I demand inquiry to book the criminals”, Jakir Sheikh said. Two days elapsed but the police could not track the goons, he said.
A road rally in the thoroughfares of Maheshpur area under Farakka police station limits was held to highlight the incident of suspected rape and murder, sources said. Students – both boys and girls –also took part in the protest rally and demonstrated their grievances.
Violence broke out when some protesters allegedly vandalized a house reportedly belonging to a local resident who is said to be involved in the murder case. The police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Villagers alleged that panic gripped the entire locality where girls are in fear of going to schools or private tuition classes, the agitators informed. They said that the incident is a rarest of rare crimes which must be inquired into.
Significantly, Farakka police station was adjudged the 3rd best PS in India, according to an assessment by the union Home ministry a few years ago.
Image@HBN
Tags: #GirlTorturedToDeath #Farakka #Murshidabad #RoadRally