Mob sets fire to police outpost after nine-year-old girl was 'raped and murdered' in India

A local police camp in India was set ablaze by a mob on Saturday, just hours after the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl came to light.

According to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, the girl's family from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal had previously lodged a complaint with local police because she did not return home after classes on Friday evening.

The body of the nine-year-old girl from Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district of the state was found in a pond in the early hours of Saturday.

“She came to my shop at the local market around 5pm on her way home from class. But when I came home at night, I was told that she never came home,” the girl’s father told reporters.

“We started looking for her. Later, her body was found about a kilometer from our house,” he said, according to AFP news agency Hindustan Times.

The villagers claim the girl was raped and murdered and accuse the police of failing to act promptly on their initial complaint.

Meanwhile, when police entered the village to recover the girl's body, they were harassed and an angry mob ransacked a police outpost before setting it on fire. Women also took to the streets armed with brooms and kitchen utensils.

“They also vandalized several vehicles parked outside the outpost and the policemen were forced to leave the premises,” an official told PTI.

Locals demanded action against police officers who allegedly responded late to the complaint.

A large police force was sent to the village to quell the mob of more than 200 people with tear gas grenades.

Police deny allegations of negligence and say one person has already been arrested in connection with the case.

“So far one person has been arrested. It remains to be seen whether anyone else is involved. Efforts are being made to normalize the situation in the region. That is our priority,” a senior official said The Indian Express.

“We identified and arrested the accused and he also made a confession. We took every step and acted promptly. Nevertheless, we will certainly also deal with allegations,” he said.

The incident came just weeks after a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, sparking widespread protests across the country.

The state has witnessed thousands of protests in the last two months – some of which are still ongoing – demanding justice for the victim and safety for health workers.