Kolkata, July 10 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police probing the death of a 12-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and murdered at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, is also probing a possible angle that could establish links between some of the accused arrested in the case and a girls’ trafficking racket operating in the area.

Although refusing to divulge detailed information for the sake of the investigation, an officer from the Baruipur Police District, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this line of investigation was initiated after investigators gathered certain leads while questioning family members and neighbours of the accused arrested in the case.

However, the officer declined to identify the accused suspected of being involved in the alleged girls’ trafficking racket. “There is a possibility that the victim might have been lured by one of the accused on the pretext of trafficking. However, later, the accused persons, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, committed the crime. But all these aspects are subject to further investigation,” the district police officer said.

Altogether, four persons — Pravas Mondal, Dibakar Sardar, Ananda Sardar, the suspected prime accused in the case, and Kabir Mollah — were arrested in the case. Of them, Pravas Mondal was killed in a police encounter early on Monday morning after he allegedly tried to snatch the firearm of a police personnel.

The state government has already entrusted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police with probing the encounter and submitting a report. A parallel judicial probe into the encounter is also underway.

According to district police officials, the area in Baruipur where the crime took place, along with adjoining localities, has become notorious in recent years for a high number of missing girls, most of them minors or just above the age of 18. According to police records, around 150 girls, the majority of them minors, have gone missing from the area over the last three years, raising suspicions of an organised girls’ trafficking racket operating there.

Since assuming the post of Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari has repeatedly claimed that if voted to power, his government would follow a “zero tolerance” policy towards crimes against women and ensure the strictest punishment for offenders in such cases.

–IANS

src/pgh