MORE THAN A FORTNIGHT AFTER ALLEGED RAPE OF 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL, NO ARREST IN SOUTH 24-PARGANAS

October 31, 2026

BASANTI, SOUTH 24-PARGANAS, OCTOBER 31: More than two weeks after a 10-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 65-year-old man at her home in a village in South 24-Parganas, police have yet to arrest anyone in connection with the case. The alleged incident took place on October 13, shortly before the Durga Puja celebrations.

The girl's mother lodged a complaint at Basanti police station on October 16, following which an FIR was registered. A medical examination conducted the following day indicated sexual assault. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly entered the house when the girl's parents were away and sexually assaulted her. Two other women have also been accused of attempting to prevent the family from approaching the police.

The principal accused has been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, including the provision concerning aggravated penetrative sexual assault, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The child was produced before the South 24-Parganas Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Baruipur on Friday. Kakali Das, a member of the NGO Goranbose Gram Bikas Kendra, which is assisting the family, alleged that the accused's associates had threatened the girl's parents. She also questioned the delay in the police response and the child's production before the CWC.

A senior officer of Baruipur police district reportedly cited the closure of courts during the Durga Puja holidays as a possible reason for the delay. Under the child-protection procedure applicable to POCSO cases, police are required to inform the Child Welfare Committee promptly after receiving information about an alleged offence.

The girl's father works as a daily labourer, while her mother is a homemaker. The case has raised concerns over the delay in taking action and the protection available to the child and her family while the investigation remains pending. The allegations have not yet been established in court.