Detectives probing allegations of rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl at Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district said on Tuesday that one of the accused is suspected of taking the victim to a hut where two other accused were already present before the crime took place.
A senior police officer said that the three arrested accused were being interrogated while investigators were awaiting forensic reports and examination of the viscera.
“The investigation is ongoing on the basis of evidence collected from the scene, witness statements and scientific examination. We are verifying the exact sequence of events and the individual roles of each accused,” he said.
He added that one of the accused took the minor to the hut, where two others were present, adding that the three accused had consumed intoxicants before the assault.
He added, “The initial post-mortem report revealed injuries to the victim. Investigators are studying the circumstances that led to the injury, and are awaiting the final medical opinion.”
The investigating team officer said that the accused tried to get rid of the victim late on Saturday night.
Read also: Body of 12-year-old rape and murder victim found in Baruipur, Bengal: Police
“It is suspected that she remained inside the hut before they attempted to dispose of her. Circumstantial evidence suggests that they attempted to carry her in a plastic bag, but after tearing it, they allegedly threw her into a nearby pond,” he said.
The officer said that an investigation was underway to confirm whether the crime had occurred inside the hut.
Incidentally, the results of the initial post-mortem examination indicate pre-mortem drowning, which means that the victim was alive when he was thrown into the water.
The officer added: “But the conclusion will be reached after the forensic examination and receiving the viscera reports.”
Investigators suspect that the victim lost consciousness due to injuries before being thrown into the pool. Police said they were examining the presence of water in the lungs and stomach, as stated in the initial post-mortem report.
He added that the three defendants left the area separately after getting rid of the girl.
The body of the victim, who had been missing for a day, was found stuffed in a bag in Surjiapur Hatt area on Sunday, sparking a protest by locals who blocked the Baruipur-Joynagar road, burned tires and damaged some police vehicles, demanding the arrest of the accused.
Hours after the girl’s body was recovered on Sunday, a man was beaten to death by angry locals on suspicion of involvement in the victim’s death.
