Accused confesses to Bengal girl’s murder, denies rape charge: Sources

An 11-year-old girl who went missing on Friday night was found dead in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. The accused arrested in the case has confessed to her murder but denied raping her, police sources said.
During questioning, the accused, Mostakin Sardar, revealed that he had tried to rape the girl but killed her after she resisted his attempts. He then disposed of her body in a nearby canal, police sources told India Today. A murder case was lodged and police are awaiting the victim’s autopsy report.
Sardar reportedly told police that he encountered the girl near a market around 7:30 pm on Friday as she was returning home from tuition. He offered to drop her off but instead took her to a secluded farm land and attempted to assault her.
When the girl resisted his attempts, Sardar killed her by smothering her and then threw her body into a nearby canal. He admitted to killing the girl out of fear of being caught if she were alive.
Following the murder, Sardar returned home, ate dinner, and slept. Police sources said he showed no signs of remorse after committing the crime.
The girl’s family reported her missing that night. Police arrested Sardar a few hours later after identifying him through interviews with the victim’s classmates. He had been trying to befriend the girl for several days, giving her ice cream and offering her rides, sources said.
After the body was discovered, protests erupted in the district, with locals accusing police of inaction. The girl’s family claimed that she had been raped before her body was found, and that police had not responded to their complaints promptly.
The simmering anger exploded when a hundreds-strong mob torched the local police outpost and threw stones at police personnel. They also vandalised several vehicles parked outside the outpost.
Women protestors took to the streets armed with lathis, brooms, and kitchen utensils. The police responded with a large contingent, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and used tear gas and lathi charges to disperse the mob.
The incident has triggered a political controversy, with the opposition BJP condemning the Trinamool Congress government for its alleged failures on the issue of women’s safety.