In the industrial silence of a shuttered factory in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, a quiet Thursday evening dissolved into a harrowing tragedy that has now ignited a fierce political firestorm across the state.
A 16-year-old girl had entered the closed factory premises with a friend, seeking a moment of reprieve from the bustling streets outside. However, as per a report by The Indian Express, the sanctuary of the vacant building proved to be a trap. According to police reports, three men, led by a local figure named Dipankar Adhikari, suddenly intercepted the pair. Using threats of violence, they forced the girl’s friend to flee, leaving the teenager isolated and defenseless within the factory walls. It was there, amidst the machinery and shadows, that she was brutally raped.
By Friday morning, the crime had moved from the factory floor to the center of a bitter tug-of-war over political accountability. Adhikari, upon his arrest, as per the report, claimed a shield of authority, alleging he was a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and a civic volunteer, claims that both the party and the police have since scrambled to deny.
The administrative response has been swift in its formal procedures. “A case has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Two people were arrested and produced before the Serampore court. The medical checkup of the minor has been done, and the investigation is going on. We are also investigating whether any other accused were present there or not,” a senior police officer from Hooghly district said, The Indian Express reported.
‘Intolerable’
Opposition parties alleged that at least two additional suspects were involved in the crime and called for their immediate arrest. Local BJP leader Indranil Dutta said, “Everybody knows the main accused is a local TMC leader. He has been doing whatever he wanted for many days, and this has resulted in such an incident. It is intolerable.” Meanwhile, CPI(M) leaders staged a dharna outside the police station, alleging that Adhikari’s previous record of extortion had been conveniently overlooked by authorities.
Attempting to stem the tide of public outrage, local TMC leader Kalachand Banerjee issued a sharp distancing statement: “Our party is in power. Maybe some miscreants are trying to walk with us to get some benefits. But if they engage in crime, the police will take steps, and the law will take its own course. Our party will not tolerate such criminals.”
