Violent protests broke out on a Bengal highway over the alleged gangrape, murder of a girl
Highlights
- Locals have alleged the school girl was gangraped and murdered
- Protests broke out soon after the girl's body was found
- Post-mortem report mentioned the case of death as "effect of poison"
Bengal's National Highway 31, which connects state capital Kolkata to Siliguri, turned into a battlefield Sunday afternoon and evening after locals blocked the road to protest the alleged gangrape and murder of a school girl.
The protest took place at Chopra, which is around 500 km north of Kolkata. For almost two hours the police tried to disperse the protesters but were met with fierce resistance, forcing the cops to resort to a lathi-charge and firing tear gas.
The violence, which began at around 2 PM, lasted for several hours and at least three buses and police vehicles were torched.
Police believed they had dispersed the crowd at around 5 PM but the protesters simply moved on another arterial road and began attacking cops with bows and arrows.
At one point cops were attacked by locals wielding bows and arrows
According to the sister of the girl who was killed, she had just passed her Class 10 board exam. Her family launched a search party after she went missing last night and spotted her body under a tree.
Locals have alleged she was gangraped and murdered. Two bicycles and some mobile phones found at the scene have been handed over to the police.
The West Bengal Police tweeted the post-mortem report mentioned the case of death as "effect of poison" and there were "no injury marks". "Inquest by a magistrate and videography of the Post Mortem was done. As per the PM report cause of death is "effect of poison". No injury marks anywhere in the body has been found. There is no sign of sexual or physical assault," the police tweeted.
"Though L&O problem has been created over the issue, yet no complaint has been lodged with police," it said, referring to law and order problems.
Protests broke out soon after the girl's body was found.
The situation is now under control, say local police, and an investigation has been launched into the death of the girl.