Two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by their neighbours in Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal over the past 24 hours, police said.

According to a police official, the perpetrators in both the cases have been arrested.

TMC MLA Manoranjan Byapari and senior minister Firhad Hakim have called for strong punishments against the offenders, emphasising that this is a social evil that must be addressed nationwide.

In North 24 Parganas' Mogra, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by her neighbour when she was home alone on Saturday night. The accused has been arrested and charged under relevant sections of the BNS and POCSO laws, police said.

In a similar incident at Gaighata, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly abducted by a neighbour on her way to tuition on Saturday. She was taken to a nearby jungle and allegedly raped before being dropped near her home later that night, police said and added that the medical examination of the girl is scheduled for Monday.

The father of the Gaighata victim has demanded death penalty for the accused after a fast-track trial.

In response to the Mogra incident and others like it, TMC legislator Byapari said, "Had I been present, I would have broken and twisted the hands and feet of the accused and then handed him over to police." He advocated for severe punishment for those who commit crimes against women, adding, "If any action is taken against me for treating those involved in heinous crimes against women as they deserve, I am ready to face the consequences. I will not back down from my words." Senior state minister Firhad Hakim said, "Any crime against women should be dealt with sternly, with no mercy shown to the perpetrators. This is a social evil and such crimes are occurring frequently in other states. We must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to ensure a safe environment for our sisters and daughters." BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri criticised the TMC government, claiming that crimes against women have become a daily occurrence in West Bengal under their rule.

"The Mamata Banerjee regime has failed to instill fear in molesters and abusers. The perpetrators have become emboldened," he asserted.

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