A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by some of her relatives on Friday night at their home in Gangnapur in Nadia where she had gone to stay some days earlier to visit a rural fair.
Police have begun a rape-and-murder case under relevant sections of IPC and Pocso Act based on the complaint of the father of the deceased teenager.
Police on the basis of the father’s complaint have arrested four relatives on charges of sexual assault and murder.
A second autopsy was done — after the first one was done by the police — on the basis of a demand by the girl’s father who said his daughter had been sexually assaulted and then killed.
The second autopsy was approved by the Ranaghat ACJM court and conducted under the supervision of the CMOH of Nadia at the district hospital in Krishnagar.
The body of the girl was handed over to the bereaved parents after preserving the viscera samples, which her father has demanded to be sent to the central forensic science laboratory for required test.
Police and family members said that the girl went to her relatives’ home with her mother three days ago, but stayed on even after her mother returned home. On Friday night, the relatives informed the girl’s father that she had fallen ill and was taken to Ranaghat subdivision hospital.
Initially the father was informed by the hospital that the victim was brought dead and apparently had committed suicide.
Speaking to The Telegraph father of the girl said: “I found no reason for my daughter to commit suicide. It is strange and absurd to me. I suspect that my daughter who was so jolly and happy was sexually assaulted and killed before she was hanged to give it a look as if she committed suicide. I demanded a subsequent autopsy before the court which was granted since I wanted to know the truth and the exact role of my relatives behind the death of my daughter.”
A senior police official of Ranaghat police district said: We have acted upon the complaints and started a case to avoid any controversy. We are waiting for the autopsy report so that the investigation can proceed in the right direction.”