In a chilling incident that has shaken the city, a 14-year-old Class 7 student was allegedly gangraped by three youths in Kolkata’s Dum Dum locality on Saturday evening. The minor was returning home from her tuition classes when the perpetrators, one of whom was known to her, forcibly abducted her on an e-rickshaw and assaulted her in a nearby shanty.
According to police, the primary accused, an acquaintance of the girl, intercepted her on the way back from tuition. He coerced her onto an e-rickshaw and took her to a secluded park in the area. There, two additional accomplices joined him. The group then shifted the victim to a shanty some distance away, where the sexual assault allegedly took place.
“The complaint states that the girl was threatened with dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone,” a senior officer from Dum Dum Police Station told News18.
After the assault, the accused released her but issued stern warnings to maintain silence. The victim, traumatised but resolute, confided in her family upon reaching home. A formal FIR was lodged late Saturday night, leading to the swift arrest of all three suspects. Charges have been pressed under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code for gangrape and criminal intimidation.
The minor was immediately referred to a government hospital for a comprehensive medical examination. “The medico-legal report will ascertain the extent of injuries and confirm involvement of multiple perpetrators,” the officer added. Forensic samples have been collected, and investigators are scanning CCTV footage from the tuition centre, e-rickshaw stand, and surrounding areas to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The incident triggered immediate political backlash. On Sunday morning, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and local leaders gathered outside Dum Dum Police Station, raising slogans against the state government and demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits.
“Such barbaric crimes against minors expose the complete collapse of law and order in Bengal,” said a BJP spokesperson at the protest. Party workers submitted a memorandum urging time-bound investigation and capital punishment under POCSO provisions.
The case has reignited debates on safety of schoolchildren, especially girls attending evening tuition classes in densely populated neighbourhoods. Local residents report inadequate street lighting and policing in the Dum Dum park area, which allegedly enabled the crime.
Women’s rights organisations have called for stricter patrolling, installation of CCTV cameras, and community vigilance programmes. “Every tuition centre must ensure safe drop-off arrangements until the last student reaches home,” demanded a city-based child rights activist.
The three arrested youths, aged between 19 and 22 are scheduled to be produced before a POCSO court on Monday. Police are interrogating them to uncover any prior criminal records or potential larger network involvement.
As Kolkata grapples with yet another incident of sexual violence against a minor, authorities have assured the victim’s family of full support, including counselling and legal aid. The case remains under active investigation, with senior officials monitoring progress round-the-clock.
