Kolkata: A senior citizen has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in Mekhliganj, located in the Cooch Behar district of North Bengal. The police confirmed the arrest on Sunday following a complaint lodged by the victim’s family.
The victim, a sixth-grade student, had gone to the riverbank to collect wood when the incident occurred. The accused, a 63-year-old man whom the girl affectionately called “Dadaji” (grandfather), reportedly threatened her with a sharp weapon and committed the assault. The incident took place on Thursday but came to light on Saturday after the family filed a complaint with the police.
According to police sources, the girl was drying clothes by the riverside when the accused called her to collect wood. He then intimidated her before committing the crime. A local woman later rescued the girl and took her home.
The victim told reporters, “I was hanging clothes to dry by the river when Dadaji called me, saying there was wood nearby. Then he threatened me and assaulted me.”
Despite the incident, the family initially hesitated to approach the police due to threats from the accused. However, local residents intervened and took the victim and her family to the Jamaldah police outpost, where a formal written complaint was registered. The accused was subsequently arrested and brought to the Mekhliganj Police station.
A senior police officer from Mekhliganj confirmed, “The accused has been arrested and a case has been filed against him.”
The case sparked outrage among local residents, who protested on Saturday night by blocking the state highway in Jamaldah with burning tyres and stones. The agitation caused significant traffic disruption, and during the stone-pelting, Mekhliganj police station in-charge Mohammad Shahbaz sustained minor injuries. The police resorted to baton charges to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters to restore order.
