The BJP and the Congress in Bengal have raised questions over Thursday’s suicide of a teenage girl at Hemtabad police station and alleged negligence on the part of police personnel on duty.

Senior police officers, however, have brushed aside the charges and said no lapse was found on the part of any personnel, including policewomen, and all of them had discharged their responsibilities appropriately.

“There had been some negligence on the part of police. Had the police been alert, they could have stopped the girl from taking such an unfortunate step,” said Basudeb Sarkar, the BJP president of North Dinajpur district.

Mohit Sengupta, the district Congress president, said: “We have information that the girl was not kept under steady vigil. Also, police personnel should have acted more promptly when she didn’t come out of the washroom after some time,” he said.

On Thursday, the 18 year old girl had launched a “dharna” in front of the house of a boy aged below 18 with whom she was reportedly in a relationship and demanded that he marry her. As the news spread, a police team went to the spot and brought her to the police station for counselling.

While sitting at the police station, she asked to go to the washroom. When she didn’t come out, policewomen broke open the door and found her hanging. She was rushed to Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital where she died soon after.

Senior police officers, who visited Hemtabad police station after the incident, said there was no lapse on the part of the police personnel on duty. The girl had gone to the washroom within 15 minutes after reaching the police station and not after hours, the officers said.

They said that ever since she was brought to the police station, she was under the vigilance of policewomen. As she went to the washroom, they escorted her till the door.

“She went inside and opened the water tap at full speed. After some time, when she didn’t come out, the women personnel at the door got suspicious and soon, the door was broken. No one had any inkling that she would take such a drastic step,” said an officer.

The girl’s family had filed a complaint against the boy, who is a minor. “Accordingly, the boy was taken into custody and was presented before the juvenile court. Investigation is in progress,” the officer added.