Kolkata, February 8: Kolkata police have arrested two individuals in connection with the gang rape of a minor girl in the Patuli area of the city. Officials confirmed the arrests on Sunday.
According to police sources, on the eve of Saraswati Puja (January 22), the minor girl was lured under the pretense of going for a walk and taken to an isolated room in South Kolkata’s Patuli police station area, where she was gang-raped.
Following the incident, the victim’s family filed a written complaint at the Patuli police station. Based on this complaint, the police initiated an investigation. The accused had fled the scene after the incident but were apprehended by police on Saturday.
The arrested individuals face charges of gang rape, sexual assault, and violations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police have also begun interrogating both suspects.
The accused have been identified as Akash Haldar and Pradeep Mandal. Authorities reported that the two men took the minor to a secluded room shortly before the Saraswati Puja celebrations. It is alleged that after consuming alcohol, they gang-raped the minor and threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone.
The victim was traumatized by the event. However, after returning home, her health deteriorated, and a day later, she disclosed the entire incident to her family. Subsequently, her family lodged a formal complaint at the Patuli police station, prompting the police to launch an investigation. The accused fled the area immediately after the incident, but police managed to track them down and arrest them.
A senior officer from Kolkata police stated that both suspects were arrested based on the family’s complaint filed on Saturday. A case has already been registered against them, and they are currently being interrogated. The investigation is ongoing.
Investigating officials further indicated that they are trying to determine if other individuals were involved in this crime.