Violent protests erupted at Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Sunday morning after a minor girl, missing since Saturday afternoon, was found dead in a pond. A mob allegedly lynched a local man suspected of being involved in the crime after the girl’s family alleged she was raped and murdered before her body was dumped in the pond.

The incident took place at a village in Baruipur, around 30 km from Kolkata. Angry locals initially refused to hand over the minor’s body to the police and blocked key transportation routes. The mob also set several vehicles on fire. Train services on the Sealdah-Namkhana line were completely disrupted for about an hour due to the protests. Road traffic also remained suspended for nearly five hours as locals sat in protest on the streets with the girl’s body. One policeman was admitted to the hospital.

A massive contingent of security personnel, including the Central forces, was sent to the spot.
Police sources said a mob lynched a 26-year-old man as he was allegedly spotted with people believed to be the prime suspects. Police, however, have not revealed the identity of the person.
The massive blockade was resolved only after top officials intervened. A police officer used a megaphone to pacify the crowd, announcing that the government had taken note of the tragedy.

“Just a short while ago, the chief minister (Suvendu Adhikari) spoke to us directly over the phone. He assured us that no person involved in this crime will be spared… We urge everyone to cooperate with the government and police during the investigation. We stand with you at every step,” said Presidency Range Inspector-General Kankarprasad Barui.

IG Barui told the locals, “Come to our office in Bhabani Bhavan with all your demands. We will listen to them.”

After the locals allowed the police to take the minor girl’s body for a postmortem examination, it was sent to the Baruipur sub-divisional hospital.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke to the father of the girl and reportedly promised to meet him on Tuesday.

Police have arrested one person, identified as Prabhash Mondal, in connection with the death of the girl.

The IG added that the police were searching for the culprits and that no guilty would be spared. Police have registered two FIRs – one on the murder of the minor girl, the other in connection with the alleged lynching of a person and assault on police and vandalism. The FIR related to the murder of the girl does not have rape charges under POCSO.

Later, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police, was constituted to investigate the incident. “The SIT will probe how the crime unfolded, identify everyone involved, and examine any lapses in the sequence of events,” said a police officer.
As per the police, the girl left home at 4.30 pm on Saturday to visit a friend’s house. Her family members started looking for her when she failed to return home. They searched for the girl the entire night, but she was found dead in a village pond in the morning.

Meanwhile, the incident took a political turn with the Opposition TMC claiming that the state government deployed security forces outside party chief Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence to stop her from visiting Baruipur.

In a post on X, the TMC wrote, “Our chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, wanted to visit Baruipur. Upon learning this, a massive deployment of police personnel and barricades was put in place outside her residence to prevent her from leaving. Despite these attempts to stop her, our demand remains unchanged: #JusticeForBaruipur. Didi stands firmly with the victim’s family and is committed to ensuring they receive justice.”

Our Chairperson, @MamataOfficial, wanted to visit Baruipur. Upon learning this, a massive deployment of police personnel and barricades was put in place outside her residence to prevent her from leaving.

Despite these attempts to stop her, our demand remains unchanged:… pic.twitter.com/o6dayiSNOF

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 5, 2026

Earlier in the day, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh called Baruipur “a horrific incident”. “A young girl raped and murdered. The area is volatile. A dangerous tendency of people taking the law into their own hands in anger. There are also allegations that one of the accused managed to flee. Did he flee, or was he allowed to escape?,” Kunal Ghosh posted on his Facebook page, adding “Bhoy IN, Bhorsha OUT (Fear is in, trust is out)”