On Sunday afternoon a clash broke out in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district, with angry locals demanding justice for a girl who was recently found dead in the area.
Residents of Chaitra Gach village allege that the girl was picked up from her house and raped. Her body was found the next morning. On Sunday, the locals held protests, blocking National Highway 31, torching vehicles and burning tyres.
Videos of the protests show a public bus on fire, as well as burning tyres placed across the road. Police officials can also be seen attempting to disperse the angry mob.
Heavy security has been deployed in the area. The police had to resort to lathicharging the mob and they also fired shots into the air.
According to videos shared by The Free Press Journal's Prema Rajaram, locals can be seen saying that the girl in question had recently given her Class 10 exams. The family had gone to sleep, and when they woke up, the girl was missing, one individual said. She was later discovered dead.
"We want them to be punished, and we want justice for our sister" they alleged. While one local claimed that they had found "proof" in the form of an Aadhar card and a wallet, another spoke about a phone that had been discovered.
"It is a very sad incident. We do not want to politicize it. Investigation will be done and culprits will be punished as per law. We will be meeting the family of the victim tomorrow," said West Bengal Minister, Goutam Deb.
(With inputs from Prema Rajaram and agencies)
