Girl beheaded by uncle in West Bengal's Malda, people stage massive protests

Malda (WB): A 11-year-old girl has been beheaded allegedly by her uncle in West Bengal's Malda district, police said on Thursday.

While the accused claimed he killed the girl as revenge for her father humiliating him and even beating him up in public several times in the past, police also suspect that she might have been raped before being murdered.

The torso and the head of the girl, who had been missing since January 29, were found in different spots in Malda city, a police officer said.

The accused, a 27-year-old man, was traced through a CCTV footage, in which he was seen with the girl just before she went missing. Her father lodged a police complaint, stating the girl went out of her house around 6.15 pm on January 29 but did not return home.

In the CCTV footage of Uttar Baluchar area, the girl was seen hopping on the motorcycle of the accused near her house.

When questioned, the accused at first gave misleading statements but later confessed to committing the crime and led the police to recover the head and the torso, the officer said.

The accused claimed he killed his niece at an isolated place within an hour of picking her up on his motorcycle as he wanted revenge because her father had humiliated him and even beat him up in public several times in the past, the officer said.

However, police also suspect that the girl might have been raped. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to Malda Medical College and Hospital.

The accused was arrested and produced before a court, which remanded him to 12 days in police custody.

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked a massive public outcry in the city, with people from all walks of life staging protests against the incident and shops remaining closed. The protesters demanded strict action against the accused.

Major political parties, including the BJP, TMC and the CPI(M) staged protest rallies and silent vigils to condemn the incident.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP claimed that the girl could have been saved had the police acted swiftly.

"A girl child went missing on 29th Jan in Malda. Her family promptly informed the police and made a public appeal as well. However, police were occupied with making arrangements for CM's sudden visit. Unfortunately, the mutilated and mangled dead body of the girl was found later on. The girl could have been saved had the police acted swiftly. This is the condition of public safety in West Bengal," he posted on X.

BJP's Malda (Dakshin) district committee vice president Mousumi Mitra alleged that such incidents have become routine in West Bengal as strict punishment is not awarded in such cases.

"We want exemplary punishment for the accused," she said.

BJP workers staged a protest outside English Bazar police station.

Ruling TMC, which took out a silent vigil in protest against the incident, demanded capital punishment for the accused.

"We condemn the incident. We want the accused to be hanged to death," TMC's Malda district committee general secretary Prosenjit Das said.

The CPI (M) submitted a deputation at the English Bazar police station over the incident, and brought out a protest rally.

CPI (M) English Bazar area committee secretary Tushar Goswami said, "All those directly or indirectly involved in the incident must be arrested and awarded strict punishment. Police should not be busy only with providing security to VIPs. They should also provide security to common people, especially girls and women."

A large contingent of police has been deployed in Uttar Baluchar area to maintain law and order.