4 cops suspended for dragging dead girl’s body on road in Bengal

Four police officers, all in the rank of Assistant Sub Inspectors, were Monday suspended for allegedly dragging the body of a minor girl on road at Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal last week, a senior official said.

Of the four ASIs, three are from Kaliaganj Police Station and one is from Raiganj Police Station.

"We have suspended four ASIs for dragging the body of the minor girl on April 21," he said.

Also Read | Prohibitory orders imposed in Bengal's Kaliaganj after protests over girl's death

A video purportedly showing the incident has gone viral. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

On Friday, the dead body of the 17-year-old girl was found floating in a canal in Kaliaganj. Alleging that she was raped and killed, locals put up road blockades by burning tyres and set several shops on fire.

Meanwhile, the incident kept the state's political cauldron on the boil for the fourth day on Monday, as the ruling TMC and the NCPCR engaged in a war of words over "lapses" in investigation.

The Trinamool Congress also accused opposition BJP of trying to "politicise and communalise" the matter, as the saffron camp demanded a CBI probe and promised legal aid to the girl’s family.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo, who was allowed to meet the girl's family a day before, on Monday alleged severe lapses by the state police in investigating the case, and said he will submit a report to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Kanoogo claimed that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) team, which visited the Kaliaganj area, had to face "all sorts of non-cooperation" from the state administration.

Speaking to PTI, Kanoongo said, "I am going to file a report to Home Minister Amit Shah after I return to Delhi. There are serious lapses on the part of the Raiganj Police investigating the girl's death. I fear that evidence may be tampered with because of the dilly-dallying by police. I believe the Mamata Banerjee government is trying to save the culprits."

Kanoongo also claimed that the police have been trying to project the girl's death as suicide, which is “hard to believe”.

"I have seen her mark sheets and spoken to the family. She was a very bright student. It is quite hard to believe that she died by suicide," he said.

The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) dismissed Kanoongo's allegations, contending that he was attempting to politicise the matter.

"Mr Kanoongo is here with a political motive. His allegations are baseless. He is trying misdirect the victim's family," WBCPCR Chairperson Ananya Chakraborti said.

Police said a case has been filed under sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act. A man and his father have also been arrested based on a complaint filed by the girl's family, they said.

A preliminary post-mortem examination report revealed no injury to the body, Uttar Dinajpur SP Md Sana Akhtar said.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said the party would like to offer legal aid to the girl’s family members to fight the case.

“The state administration is trying to cover up the matter to protect the culprits. We think only a CBI probe would bring out the truth," he said.

Reacting to his remark, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of politicising the issue, and wondered whether the saffron party will provide legal aid to the family of such victims in states ruled by it.