Constable arrested for raping minor girl inside police barrack in Bengal

KOLKATA/SILIGURI: In a shocking incident, Haridas Roy, a 58-yearold constable, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly raping a minor inside a police barrack in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. The girl is a class 4 student. The incident happened on September 6.

“Roy was immediately suspended from the police force. He was arrested and produced at a district court. The culprit will not be spared,” Cooch Behar police superintendent, Anoop Jaiswal told HT on Monday.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Dinhata assembly constituency, Udayan Guha said that the crime was committed within the police barracks.

“The victim, who is 11 years old, was silent in the first few days due to shock. Later she revealed the atrocity to her mother. Finally, on September 16 evening, the culprit was arrested...” he said. The survivor was taken for counselling on Monday. She will undergo a medical test later.

Her mother runs a small eatery near the barrack at Dinhata town. The victim used to study at a local school and help her mother in running the eatery. The police personnel residing at the barrack were regular customers.

Sources said on September 6, when the girl went to the barrack to deliver bread and vegetable curry, Roy raped her. “When the victim informed her mother about the incident, she first went to the police barrack. But Roy threatened them and asked them not to reveal it to anybody.