Parents arrested in WB for killing teen over affair

Kolkata, July 7: A couple were arrested Saturday for allegedly killing their 16-year-old daughter and dumping her body in the Ganga river as they were against her relationship with a youth, police said.

Pratima Mandal (14), a Class VIII student of a school in Mahendratola village in Malda's Bhutni,West Bengal was in a relationship with a neighbour. Her parents never accepted the relationship but Pratima remained defiant. The incident, a suspected case of honour killing, occurred on Friday in Mahendratola village under the jurisdiction of Bhutni police station, they said.

Acting on a tip-off, the police went to their residence and arrested Dhiren Mondal and his wife Sumati Mondal, a police officer said.

The girl was having an affair with a youth, Achintya Mondal, a resident of adjoining village, the police officer said, adding, the girl's parents were against the relationship.

The couple, after killing the class 9 student, put her body in a jute bag and threw it in the Ganga, he said. Neighbours question-ed them but did not get satisfactory replies. After Pratima was nowhere to be found, residents informed police.

A team led by DSP Bipul Majumder arrived and interrogated Dhiren and Sumati, who broke down and confessed they had thrown the body into the Ganga. They were arrested.

A suo motu case was lodged under various sections of the IPC, Superintendent of Police (Malda district) Alok Rajoria said.

Efforts were on to recover the body from the river, the SP said, adding that divers were engaged to find the body.The parents were produced in court on Saturday. Dhiren was remanded in police custody for seven days while his wife was sent to jail.