High school clerk quizzed over Birbhum minor’s ‘rape-suicide’

RAMPURHAT: The Birbhum police on Sunday started questioning a 32-year-old clerk in a government high school for his reported involvement in the abuse and death of a teenage school-goer in Murshidpara village under Murarai police station in Birbhum.
The victim's father, a Dalit, has alleged that his daughter — a Class VIII student — had left home on Saturday for her private tuitions. He alleged that she was abducted by one Utpal Mondal, who forcibly dragged her into a narrow alley and raped her.
Locals told police Mondal was a high-school clerk.
The father said, “After returning home, she didn’t tell us anything. She went straight into her room and consumed insecticide. When she started moaning we rushed into the room and asked what had happened. She said that Utpal had forcibly raped her. Utpal earlier used to tease my daughter. With the help of our neighbours, we immediately took her to Murarai hospital. My daughter mentioned the name of Utpal before the villagers who had gathered then. From Murarai, she was shifted to Rampurhat Medical College where she succumbed to death early on Sunday. We want Utpal to be punished.”
Police said that medico-legal examinations and post mortem have been conducted in hospital.
“Prima facie, no medical evidence of rape had been found. However, the victim is a minor. She could have been abused. The father has not lodged a formal complaint but we will record his statement. We have started investigation into the matter and the accused person is being questioned,” an officer said.