Birbhum has been shaken by the gruesome murder of a seventh-grade tribal student, whose mutilated body was recovered on Tuesday night, nearly three weeks after she went missing. Police have arrested a school teacher, identified as Manoj Kumar Pal, who confessed to the crime after days of interrogation.
According to police sources, the 13-year-old student went missing on August 28 after attending private tuition at Pal’s residence in Rampurhat. When she failed to return home, her family and locals launched a search, but after hours of no trace, a formal complaint was lodged at Rampurhat Police Station.
“Based on the family’s allegations, police initially detained Pal. However, due to lack of evidence, he was released after a day, though investigators kept him under strict surveillance. He was arrested eight days ago and after sustained interrogation, finally confessed to killing the girl,” said a police officer.
On Tuesday night, police raided the Kalidanga bridge area, where the accused admitted to dumping the body. Investigators recovered the victim’s dismembered remains stuffed in a plastic container. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that Pal killed the girl, dismembered her body and dumped it under the bridge to destroy evidence,” the officer said.
The victim’s family has alleged that Pal had earlier proposed marriage to the minor and they suspect that she was raped before being murdered. “My daughter was brutally killed. I want that teacher to be hanged,” said the grieving mother.
While police confirmed the murder and recovery of the body, they refrained from commenting on the rape allegations. Birbhum District Police Superintendent Amandeep Singh said, “The accused has been arrested. Once we receive the post-mortem report, the full details will be clearer.”
The shocking incident has sparked outrage in the area, with locals demanding the harshest punishment for the accused.
Also read: Kolkata Metro to deploy 800 guards after student murder case
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