KOLKATA: Two persons, including a minor, were arrested in connection with the gangrape case of a 16-year-old girl inside an abandoned factory in Hooghly district of West Bengal on Thursday evening. One of the arrested accused has been identified as Dipankar Adhikari, also known as Sonai, reportedly a Trinamool Congress youth leader in the locality.
Police are also looking for two other suspects involved in the incident. The two accused have been charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police sources said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Thursday evening when the girl entered the closed Hindmotor factory premises along with her alleged boyfriend, who is also a minor, a senior police officer said. “It is alleged that the accused, along with their associates, sexually assaulted the minor inside the premises,” the officer said.
The victim’s parents lodged complaints with Uttarpara police station after she came back home and told about the incident to them.
Police said the statements of the main accused were being recorded and the investigation was continuing on multiple fronts. “Statements of the arrested accused are being recorded, and the case is being investigated from all angles,” the officer said, adding that further investigation was underway.
Police said appropriate sections of the POCSO Act have been slapped in the case. "We are looking for two more associates of the accused. They are on the run, and search operations are underway to trace them. A Test Identification (TI) parade will be conducted on Saturday as part of the investigation," the officer said, requesting anonymity.
The incident has prompted opposition parties such as BJP and CPI-M to protest against the incident, demanding arrest of all culprits involved in the case.
The Hooghly district CPI-M unit staged a demonstration in front of the Uttarpara police station today and announced to intensify their protest movement against the incident on 14 January.
Amit P Javalgi, Commissioner of Police, Chandannagar police commissionerate in the district, visited the Uttarpara police station to take stock of the investigation. "The parents of the minor girl have lodged complaints with the police station. They alleged that she was sexually assaulted. Two persons, including a minor boy, were arrested. The victim has also undergone a health checkup process, and we have got the report," Javalgi said.
(With inputs from PTI)