Police in West Bengal's Uttarpara have arrested a youth for the alleged gang rape of a minor girl inside the shuttered Hind Motor factory, a site once famous for manufacturing the iconic Ambassador car. The arrest followed intense public outrage and political protests, with the accused reportedly boasting of his political connections in the area.
Arrest and Political Fallout
Dipankar Adhikari, also known as Sonai, was taken into custody after a complaint was filed by the survivor on Friday. The situation at the Uttarpara police station grew tense, with workers from the BJP and the SUCI (C) staging demonstrations. The protests were quelled only after Chandannagar Commissionerate's Commissioner of Police, Amit P Javalgi, arrived at the scene and publicly announced Adhikari's arrest.
The incident quickly snowballed into a political controversy. Opposition parties, including the BJP and the Left, pointed fingers at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging a culture of impunity for those with party links. However, local TMC functionaries were quick to distance the party from the accused.
Details of the Alleged Crime
According to the police complaint, the survivor had gone to the abandoned factory premises where her father has leased a pond for fish farming. She was accompanied by a female friend. Adhikari and two other individuals allegedly scared her friend away and then raped the minor. The same day, an audio recording surfaced, purportedly featuring the voice of the accused threatening a businessman involved in fish farming at the Hindmotor site.
Following the medical examination of the survivor, a formal case was registered under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Adhikari was subsequently produced before the Serampore court. From the court, the accused claimed he was being framed and made an appeal for help from Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee.
Political Disavowal and Hope for Justice
Trinamool Congress representatives firmly rejected any association with the accused. Kalachand Banerjee, a local TMC functionary, stated, "The party never endorses such misconduct." Priyanka Adhikari, the TMC youth president for the Hooghly Serampore organisational district, clarified that Dipankar Adhikari was not a party office-bearer. Indrajit Ghosh, the TMC block president and vice-chairman of the Uttarpara-Kotrung municipality, emphasized that the police took immediate action and that the party does not shield criminals.
Meanwhile, police have detained another youth in connection with the case and are actively searching for a third accused. The survivor's legal adviser, Shubhadeep Nath, expressed hope that justice would be delivered in the case, which has shaken the local community and ignited a fierce political debate.
