Kolkata, Oct 27 (IANS) A 13-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly abducted, drugged, and gang-raped at a hotel in Hooghly district’s Bandel after being lured from North 24 Parganas, police said on Tuesday.
The perpetrators subsequently filmed the assault and sent the video clip to the victim’s family in an attempt to blackmail and intimidate them.
The incident came to light after the victim’s family lodged an official complaint with the Baguiati Police Station in Kolkata on Tuesday, prompting law enforcement to launch a full-scale investigation.
According to police sources, the minor, a resident of Kolkata’s Baguihati area, left her home around 3:30 PM on Saturday, October 24, to meet a friend in Birati, located in the North 24 Parganas district.
The complaint alleges that the girl was abducted from Birati and transported to a hotel in Bandel, Hooghly. There, she was forced to consume a cold drink spiked with a narcotic substance before multiple individuals sexually assaulted her.
When the minor failed to return home by evening, her mother attempted to reach her around 8:30 PM. The victim initially stated she was in Barrackpore with a friend and would return by 11:00 PM. However, subsequent calls went unanswered.
Later that night, the mother received a call from an unknown number. A male caller claimed he had found the minor crying on the street, brought her to his location, and permitted her to use his mobile phone before abruptly disconnecting.
At 12:06 AM on Sunday, the minor sent a text message to her mother stating she was in danger and that a friend had taken her to the house of an individual named ‘Rik.
‘ Shortly thereafter, another individual identified as Debjit Sarkar telephoned the mother, assuring her that her daughter was safe and would be sent home by car.
The victim returned to her residence at approximately 10:30 AM on Sunday in an extremely distressed state.
Upon questioning by her family, the minor revealed that she had been taken to an acquaintance’s house, drugged until she lost consciousness, subjected to physical torture and sexual assault by several individuals, and forcibly administered emergency contraceptive pills.
The ordeal escalated when the accused filmed the assault and subsequently contacted the mother, sending the recorded clip to demand ransom and threaten the family against taking legal action.
In her police complaint, the mother named several individuals as accused, including a female friend of her daughter.
The Baguiati Police Station has registered a case under relevant sections covering abduction, gang rape, extortion, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
No arrests or detentions have been made so far, and police operations are currently underway to trace and apprehend all individuals involved.
–IANS
sch/dan