Girl’s body found in pond in West Bengal; the family accuses of rape and murder

Security personnel stand guard as people block a road and stage a protest after the body of an 11-year-old girl was found in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on July 5, 2026. Photo credit: PTI

The mutilated body of a 12-year-old minor girl in South 24 Parganas’s Baruipur was recovered from a pond on Sunday (July 5, 2026), with her family members claiming that she had been raped and murdered.

The incident sparked a protest in the area when an angry mob beat a 40-year-old man to death, suspecting him to be an associate of the accused.

According to officials, the victim’s parents filed a First Information Report (FIR) in Baruipur’s Suryapur village after she went missing on Saturday evening (July 4, 2026).

“She went to visit a friend in the evening but did not return home. Later, on Sunday morning, her mutilated body was pulled out of the pond. Following developments, her family members and local residents claimed that she was raped and murdered by some influential people in the area. But the truth is yet to be ascertained,” said a police officer from Baruipur police station.

Protesters block a road and stage a protest in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas district, on July 5, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI

The girl’s family members along with some local residents staged a protest demanding immediate action against the accused. They blocked the nearby train line on the Sealdah-Namkhana route for an hour. They staged a sit-in protest with the girl’s body, disrupting road traffic for more than three to four hours, officials said. Protesters burned tires.

Senior officials, including Inspector General of Presidency Range Kankar Prasad Barui, reached the spot and spoke to the protesters, after which they called off the dharna and handed over the body to the police for post-mortem.

Demonstrators damaged a police vehicle during the protest. | Photo credit: PTI

Mr Barui said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke to him and the police arrested one person. “No one who committed this crime will be spared. A thorough investigation is underway. Everyone is asked to remain calm,” he said.

After meeting senior officials, the victim’s father said, “The chief minister called and asked me to meet him on Tuesday. We will go and meet him. He said that no stone will be left unturned to punish the perpetrators.”

The safety of women has been a top priority of the BJP government. During the recent Assembly elections, the party ousted the previous Trinamool Congress government over various sexual assault cases.

In an interview with X Trinamool Congress, he wrote, “Crimes against women in Bengal continue to rise, while BJP’s false promises fall flat again. 12-year-old girl raped in South 24 Parganas. Protests? None. Justice? Still waiting. Accountability? Missing. When it comes to BJP grabbing power, it always grabs power. justice, the silence is deafening, who cares about safety and the certainty of women when the power was already taken?

Published – 05 Jul 2026 21:12 IST