West Bengal’s Purulia district is reeling from a heinous crime where a 17-year-old girl was kidnapped and gangraped by a group of youths. Authorities arrested seven accused on Sunday, invoking the stringent POCSO Act, 2012, as confirmed by top police brass on Monday.
The nightmare began Friday evening in Purulia town. The minor stepped out to meet a friend but vanished into thin air. Her worried family filed an abduction report at the local police station, prompting a high-stakes search operation.
Late that night, officers located and rescued the traumatized girl. In her police statement, she described being forcibly taken by seven-eight boys to an isolated farmland by railway tracks, where they repeatedly assaulted her sexually.
Post-assault, she fled back home, leading to her medical evaluation and the launch of targeted operations. Raids yielded the arrest of all involved parties by Sunday.
Six suspects appeared in court, securing seven-day judicial remand. The seventh, unwell, remains under medical care ahead of his court date. ‘Justice will be swift and severe,’ assured a district police spokesperson.
As the victim prepares to give her protected testimony today, activists call for community vigilance and better street lighting to prevent such atrocities. This incident has ignited public outrage, pressuring authorities for robust child protection reforms in the state.