Youth held for rape-murder of 14-year-old girl near Kolkata
Kolkata (PTI): Police have arrested an e-rickshaw driver in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in New Town near Kolkata, a senior officer said on Monday.
The 24-year-old accused, identified as Soumitra Roy alias Raj, was arrested on Sunday after police reviewed CCTV camera footage from several areas of New Town tracing the girl’s movements near her residence at Gouranganagar and the nearby Kestapur-Baguihati belt.
According to police, Roy offered the girl a lift after finding her wandering aimlessly around 11 pm on Thursday. He drove her around different parts of the township before allegedly raping and strangling her to death at a deserted spot.
The accused, who recently moved to the same Gouranganagar locality as the class 8 student, had gained her trust. He spotted her walking alone about 2 km from her home and offered to drop her off. After dropping off other passengers at various locations, Roy allegedly took her to a desolate spot and committed the crime, the official said.
Asked if others were involved, the officer said, "We are investigating and looking into all angles."
The class 8 student had reportedly left home following an argument with her mother on Thursday night. Her body with bruises was found near a canal early on Friday morning.
"The accused, who originally hails from Nadia district, has confessed to the crime. We are stitching together the sequence of events," the officer added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
