A 17-year-old Class XI student was found dead in the Gaighata area of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Sunday morning after reportedly going missing from a post-Durga Puja gathering the previous night.
Police have arrested a 23-year-old relative, identified as Prahlad Das, in connection with the case. The incident is being investigated as an alleged rape and murder.
Das, a resident of Shimulpur in Gaighata, was initially detained for questioning before being arrested. The investigation is being conducted by Gaighata police.
Family Says Student Left Gathering After Phone Call
According to the family, the teenager attended a Bijoya Sammilani in the Gaighata market area on Saturday night with family members, friends and neighbours.
Relatives said she received a phone call at around 11.30 pm and left the gathering. When she did not return home, the family began looking for her and remained concerned throughout the night.
A relative told the media that the family had encountered the teenager while travelling to the event.
“There was an event here yesterday. We left home around 8 pm and ran into her on the way. She mentioned she was going to the event with a friend, so we proceeded on our own,” the relative said.
The relative said the family later learnt that the teenager had not returned home. An attempt to contact her by phone was unsuccessful, with the line appearing to be busy. The family initially assumed it was a network issue and went to sleep, only to learn of her death the following morning.
Body Recovered Near Neighbour’s House
Local residents reportedly discovered the teenager’s body near a bathroom behind a neighbour’s house on Sunday morning. According to accounts provided by local sources, the body was found without clothes and bore injuries.
The family suspects that she was sexually assaulted before being murdered. However, the allegations have not been established, and the circumstances of her death remain under investigation.
Police said the preliminary investigation was proceeding on the basis of suspected rape and murder. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, and a medical board has been constituted to assist the investigation.
A forensic team has also been called to examine the scene and collect evidence.
Police Confirm Arrest, Investigation Underway
Bidisha Kalita Dasgupta, Superintendent of Police of the Bongaon Police District, confirmed that the teenager’s body was recovered from the Gaighata police station area on Sunday morning.
She said a case had been registered following a complaint by the family and that the investigation was ongoing.
Senior police officials said a relative was detained during the initial inquiry and subsequently arrested.
The post-mortem examination and forensic investigation are expected to help establish the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
