Krishnanagar, Oct. 16: As protests continue over the brutal assault on a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, the spate of suspected rape and murder appears to be continuing across the Bengal causing sheer embarrassment for the state government with the fresh one reported from Nadia’s Krishnanagar on Wednesday morning.
On the day of Laxmi Puja, the body of a Class XII student was found near an abandoned Durga Puja pandal in the Mission Para area. The girl’s body, partially unclothed, showed signs of severe burns on her face, chest, and abdomen. Her body was discovered just 500 meters from the Krishnanagar Police Superintendent’s office by morning walkers, who alerted the authorities.
The girl had gone missing on Tuesday evening after leaving home without informing her family. She later called her mother, saying she was meeting her fiancé, but did not return. The family’s concern grew when they saw a cryptic Facebook post from her account late at night, stating, “None is responsible for my death. I am solely responsible. You all stay well,” accompanied by an emoji of love and despair. This post heightened suspicions of foul play.
The girl’s family and local residents have rejected the possibility of suicide, alleging that she was gang raped and murdered. They believe her face was burnt with acid to destroy evidence and conceal her identity. The family suspects that her fiancé, Rahul Bose, a hotel employee who works in Bangalore, may have used her phone to post the suicide message.
Following a complaint from the family, police arrested Rahul Bose, 24, and detained his parents for questioning. Authorities are treating the case as an alleged rape and murder and have sent the body for autopsy to the College of Medicine & JNM Hospital in Kalyani, under the supervision of a judicial magistrate.
Krishnanagar’s Superintendent of Police, Amarnath K, said, “We have received a complaint and arrested the prime accused based on the complaint. Preliminary findings suggest murder, but the motive remains yet to be established well. We are awaiting the autopsy and forensic reports, which will help us to know how and where the girl was killed and to determine further charges.”
Police sources indicate that initial investigations suggest the girl may have been killed elsewhere, and her body was dumped and set on fire at the recovery site. However, authorities have not confirmed whether acid was used, pending forensic analysis.
The girl’s mother, who sells flowers in the town, said her daughter left home around 7 PM. She later received a call from her daughter, who mentioned she was out with Rahul, her fiancé. “I told her to come back home, but the call was cut off. Later, she sent tearful voice messages saying Rahul was torturing her,” the mother revealed.
When the girl did not return, her family contacted Rahul, but he allegedly abused them over the phone. Early the next morning, the girl’s grandfather visited Rahul’s house, where Rahul again gave conflicting statements, raising suspicions. By the time the family informed the police, her body had been found in Mission Para.
“It’s clear that Rahul killed my daughter,” the grieving mother alleged. “She couldn’t have committed suicide. Her voice messages show she is in danger. Who burned her face if it was suicide? This is a conspiracy, and Rahul and his family are behind it”, she further alleged.
Sources say the couple had eloped a few months ago, but after returning, their relationship became strained. Though their issues were reportedly resolved, and they had planned to marry soon, tensions lingered.
In response to the incident, residents protested outside the Krishnanagar police station, accusing the state government of failing to maintain law and order, citing the recent surge in violent crimes. Just two days ago, a 10-year-old girl was assaulted and killed in Farakka, and earlier this month, a 9-year-old girl met a similar fate in Jayanagar, South 24 Parganas.