Man lynched over allegations of raping, murdering 6-year-old girl in West Bengal

Siliguri: A 42-year-old man was lynched over allegations of raping and murdering a six-year-old neighbour in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district on Friday evening, police said.
Locals claimed that the prime accused Mona Roy had confessed to the crime while villagers were beating him. Hours later another accused in the case Bhakta Roy surrendered before the Falakata police station fearing for his life. He was arrested.
Police said that the girl had gone missing from her house around 3pm. When her parents returned home in the afternoon, they started looking for her. Hours later the victim’s body was found in a pond close to her house.
While the victim’s grandmother claimed that she saw the prime accused washing blood stains on his hand, some village boys claimed that they had seen the girl walking down the road with Mona, a daily wage labourer.
The villagers gathered outside the house of Mona and started confronting him. The victim’s grandmother raised an alarm when she reportedly found the girl’s clothes inside the accused’s house.
He was dragged out and tied to a tree. He was then beaten up. The man was declared dead on being taken to the hospital.
Police refused to divulge any details saying that investigation was going on.
“We have started a case of rape and murder and have also included sections under the POCSO Act. Investigation is going on. No one has been arrested in connection with the lynching case,” said a senior IPS officer.