Defendant admits murder of Bengali girl, denies rape allegation: sources

An 11-year-old girl, who went missing on Friday evening, was found dead in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. The accused arrested in the case has confessed to her murder but denied raping her, police sources said.

During questioning, the accused Mostakin Sardar revealed that he tried to rape the girl but killed her after she resisted his attempts. He then dumped her body in a nearby canal, police sources told India Today. A murder case has been filed and police are waiting for the victim's autopsy report.

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Sardar reportedly told police that he met the girl near a market around 7:30 pm on Friday when she was returning home from classes. He offered to drop her off, but instead took her to remote farmland and attempted to attack her.

When the girl resisted his attempts, Sardar killed her by suffocating her and then threw her body into a nearby canal. He admitted to killing the girl out of fear of being caught if she were still alive.

After the murder, Sardar returned home, had dinner and slept. Police sources said he showed no signs of remorse after committing the crime.

The girl's family reported her missing that night. Police arrested Sardar a few hours later after identifying him through interviews with the victim's classmates. He tried to befriend the girl for several days by giving her ice cream and offering her rides, sources said.

After the body was discovered, protests broke out in the district, with locals accusing the police of inaction. The girl's family claimed she was raped before her body was found and police did not respond promptly to their complaints.

The simmering anger exploded when a mob of hundreds set fire to the local police outpost and threw stones at police personnel. They also destroyed several vehicles parked in front of the outpost.

Demonstrators took to the streets armed with lathes, brooms and kitchen utensils. Police responded with a large contingent, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and used tear gas and lathi-charges to disperse the mob.

The incident sparked a political controversy, with the opposition BJP condemning the Trinamool Congress government for its alleged failures on the issue of women's safety.