‘Police Inaction’ Charges After Yet Another Rape-Murder In Bengal: Why This Sickening Continuum

Yet another rape-murder, this time of a nine-year-old girl in Mahishmari village, South 24 Parganas, about 56 kilometres south of Kolkata, has brought shame to Bengal. 

Like the rape-murder of the postgraduate intern at RG Kar Medical College, the police are again being accused of inaction and attempting a cover-up in this case. 

The victim, a student of Class 4, left her home in Mahishmari village on Friday afternoon (4 October) for private tuition. On her way back home, she dropped by her father’s small shop around 5 pm for a few minutes. 

On returning home around 8 pm, her father found that his daughter had never returned after visiting him at his shop. 

The parents and neighbours launched a search and also went to the Mahishmari police outpost. But the police reportedly asked the family to lodge a missing person complaint with the Joynagar police station. 

Locals claim that police at the Mahishmari outpost refused to assist in the search for the missing minor, choosing instead to wait for instructions from their superiors before taking any action. 

The police registered the case of abduction after 12:30 am and began their search. Following questioning of the victim's friends and locals, they arrested an 18-year-old man, Mostakin Sardar, at around 2 am on Saturday (5 October). 

Sardar confessed to the crime and led the police to the location where the battered and bruised body of the minor girl was found. 

Locals alleged that the policemen at the Mahishmari outpost deliberately delayed the search for the victim after being tipped off about the identity of the perpetrator by their informers. 

“That is why the police lodged a case of abduction instead of a missing person. The police knew beforehand about the identity of the man who committed the crime and tried to give him time to escape. But public pressure forced the police to arrest Mostakin Sardar. Had the police acted promptly, the young girl could perhaps have been saved,” a neighbour of the girl said. 

Locals have also claimed that since the perpetrator of the heinous crime is a Muslim, the police delayed their response to allow him time to escape and also attempted to cover up the incident. 

“It was only after we began protesting their deliberate inaction late Friday evening that the police were forced to act and start the investigation. By then, it was past midnight, and crucial time had been lost since the crime was committed,” said a relative of the victim. 

Locals allege that the police registered only a case of abduction rather than rape. “Why would the accused simply abduct and murder the girl? Her tattered clothes and the nature of the injuries on her body make it obvious that she was raped. The police are attempting a cover-up since the accused belongs to the minority community,” said another local who owns a shop near the one owned by the victim’s father.  

Irate locals attacked the Mahishmari police outpost on Saturday morning, setting the two-storied building on fire. Hundreds of angry men and women descended on the site armed with sticks and brooms. 

Some policemen were also beaten up with brooms and sandals. The policemen fled from the outpost.  

A strong police contingent later arrived to restore order in Mahishmari, but resentment lingers against law enforcement for its initial inaction. Locals accuse the police of attempting to shield the suspect due to his Muslim identity. 

Bengal’s Policemen Face Public Ire

Police in Bengal have often faced protests and even attacks from mobs which have accused them of inaction, complicity, and attempts to cover up crimes. There is a severe trust deficit between the police and the citizenry, and the image of the police in Bengal has reached its lowest point.

The primary issue contributing to the deteriorating image of the police in Bengal is their politicisation. Many locals believe that the police serve primarily the interests of the ruling Trinamool Congress party rather than the public. 

The police in Bengal, particularly in rural areas, are so tightly controlled by local politicians that officers often wait for approval from Trinamool Congress leaders before taking action. 

In Mahishmari too, locals allege that police officers delayed their response, waiting for approval from local Trinamool politicians before taking action.

Thanks to Mamata Banerjee’s policy of minority appeasement, the police are frequently accused of being reluctant to take action against Muslims. 

There have been innumerable allegations of policemen watering down charges against Muslim criminals and even refusing to arrest Muslims accused of crimes. 

Political interference and the ruling party's insistence on controlling the police have diminished the Bengal police's professionalism. This has not only hampered their ability to conduct swift and thorough investigations but has also led to a significant decline in the morale of the force. 

After the rape-murder at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in early August, the police became the object of public ire because of a series of missteps and an attempted cover-up. The Kolkata Police commissioner had to resign from the post due to public pressure and anger.

Friday’s incident in Mahishmari highlights the Bengal police's persistent failures, showing they haven't learned from the RG Kar case. Inaction, tardy action, foul investigations and attempts to shield criminals under instructions from the ruling party have become endemic. 

The police in Bengal are likely to face escalating protests and public backlash, leading to a further erosion of trust among the general populace.