Kolkata, West Bengal

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The state of West Bengal is in turmoil after the tragic discovery of a 10-year-old girl’s body in a canal in Kultali, South 24 Parganas, on Saturday (October 6). Following a day of widespread protests, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the rape and murder case in Kultali would be filed under the POCSO Act, with a promise to bring the perpetrators to justice within three months.

"I want the police to register the Kultali case under the POCSO Act and ensure that the culprits get capital punishment within three months... Crime is crime; there is no religion or caste. Strong action should be taken against the criminals," Banerjee said, as per PTI's report. Banerjee further emphasised that media trials in such cases should be avoided, as they could hinder the investigation process.

Protests erupted across South 24 Parganas on Sunday, with the public demanding strict punishment for the offenders. Some locals burned a police post near the scene of the crime. Meanwhile, the police in West Bengal have detained a suspect in connection to the case.

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According to media reports, the girl went missing in the evening after her tuition session. Her family filed a complaint after she failed to return home by night. "Yesterday itself, we started the investigation. After investigation, today we detained a person; he said that he had killed the girl. Our government is very serious about such cases, and the matter is being investigated," South 24 Parganas superintendent of police, Palash Chandra Dhali said.

However, the victim's aunt accused the police of negligence, claiming that they ignored the family’s calls for help. She also said that the girl’s body showed severe injuries, including broken limbs.

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"The body (of the girl) has several injuries on the body; limbs have been broken...She went missing while coming back from the tuition...Her father tried to find her everywhere, but when he was not able to find her, he went to the police station, but the police refused to listen to him and asked him to go to the Jaynagar police station. Police neglected the matter," the aunt told ANI.

(With inputs from agencies)