No breakthrough in Birbhum rape and murder case

KOLKATA: The CID investigating the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl at Rambhadrapur at Tarapith in Birbhum said it was still to make any significant progress in the case though they have collected various technical leads that can eventually lead them to the criminals. The CID team has questioned two neighbours to try and ascertain how they helped trace the victim’s body hours after the incident.However, the CID team said there was nothing so far to implicate them in the crime as of now.
The Anti Human Trafficking unit (AHTU) led by SS (special) Waqar Raja and SS (west) Soma Das Mitra is leading the team on the ground after instructions to investigate the case at the earliest came from the CM Mamata Banerjee herself. Sources in CID said that they have put several mobile phones active in the area under surveillance. In addition, a number of the girl’s neighbours and relatives have been asked to record their statement. “The manner in which the class 5 student was raped and murdered show that the assailant was well-conversant with the topography of the house and the habits of its inhabitants,” said one investigator.
DIG (Operations) Dilip Adak said that it was too early to make predictions. “Our team is at the spot. We are talking to local cops and in touch with the forensic teams at the spot. The investigation so far is on the right track,” said Adak.
Her family members claimed the victim was picked up by the alleged accused in the darkness while she was sleeping in a small room of their thatched house along with her brother and grandmother. Her parents were in an adjacent room, the police said.
The victim's grandmother told the police that at around 11 pm on Thursday she found her grandson and granddaughter had fallen asleep after watching television. The victim stayed at a hostel and had come to her residence due to the summer vacation. She found around 1.30 am that her grand-daughter was missing and raised an alarm. At dawn, the body was found in a field near a thatched shade used to cover submersible pump. The house has a boundary wall which was not easy for anyone to negotiate, said the CID team that visited the spot.
Kamal Bairagya, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Rampurhat said "The body of a minor girl has been found. Prima facie, it seems she was smothered to death. We have got some significant clues and sniffer dogs have been pressed into the investigation. The exact cause of death will be confirmed only after post-mortem."