Kolkata Rape Case: 4-Year-Old Kidnapped, Raped In Hooghly; Probe Underway

A four-year-old girl was abducted and sexually assaulted in Hooghly, near Kolkata, while she slept beside her grandmother. The incident occurred late on Friday night, according to police reports. The child, from the Banjara community, was resting under a mosquito net at the Railway shed in Tarakeshwar when the attacker cut through the net and took her away.

The family discovered the child in a pool of blood near the Tarakeswar railway high drain the next afternoon. "She was sleeping with me. Around 4 am, someone took her away. I didn't even realise when she was taken. I don't know who the people were who took her away. They cut the mosquito net and took her away. She was found naked," said the girl's grandmother, showing the torn net.

Community's Struggle

The grandmother expressed their plight, stating that they live on the streets after their homes were demolished. "We live on the streets because they have demolished our houses. Where do we go? We don't have any homes," she added, fighting back tears. The victim is currently receiving treatment at Tarakeswar Gramin hospital and is reported to be in critical condition.

An FIR has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). However, there are allegations against local authorities for not promptly registering it. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in Bengal, criticised Mamata Banerjee's government for allegedly suppressing the case.

Political Reactions

"4-year old girl child has been Raped in Tarkeshwar. Family rushes to Police Station, but FIR not registered! Taken to the Hospital - referred to Chandannagar. Tarkeshwar Police busy burying the Crime. This is the True Face of Mamata Banerjee's free-for-all regime. A child's life is shattered, yet the Police are shielding the State's Fake Law & Order Image, by suppressing the truth," Suvendu Adhikari posted on X.

The BJP has accused Mamata Banerjee's administration of failing to act swiftly and effectively in this case. They claim that local police are more focused on maintaining a facade of law and order rather than addressing such heinous crimes.