Teen stabbed to death in Bengal's Baruipur days after minor's rape-murder

According to local sources, the boy was murdered following tensions that had been brewing since a football match played around three days ago, in which his team had emerged victorious.

In Short

• The murder took place following simmering tensions after a football match
• The victim and his friends were allegedly called to the ground by other group
• Doctors declared the boy dead after he was taken critically injured

A 17-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed to death over an old dispute linked to a football match in Baruipur, triggering protests, a road blockade, and a police lathi charge outside a government hospital on Monday. The incident came days after a minor was raped and murdered in the same town.

The victim was allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon near a bank in the Palpara area of Baruipur. According to local sources, the assault stemmed from tensions that had been brewing since a football match played around three days ago, in which his team had emerged victorious.

Locals alleged that the win had led to an argument between the two groups, with resentment continuing in the days that followed. On Monday, the victim and one of his friends were allegedly called to a location by the accused. As soon as they arrived, he was reportedly attacked with a knife and sustained a grievous injury to his neck.

He was rushed to Baruipur Sub-Divisional Hospital in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead.

COMMUNAL TENSION FOLLOWING THE DEATH

Communal tensions gripped Baruipur after the 17-year-old’s death as several leaders from the Hindu Jagaran Manch, an outfit that serves Hindu interests, and some locals claimed that the police are not revealing the three accused’s identities as they belong to a particular religious community.

Some even claimed that the boy’s death was an instance of ‘jihadist violence’ in the area and also called for an end to the alleged ‘jihadi appeasement’ in Bengal.

The protesters blocked the road outside the Baruipur Sub-Divisional Hospital, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the killing. As tensions escalated, the protest allegedly turned violent, with demonstrators vandalising a police camp located inside the hospital premises.

Meanwhile, police detained the three accused in connection with the murder and brought them to the hospital for mandatory medical examination. Their presence further heightened tensions at the hospital, prompting security personnel to step in.

To disperse the agitating crowd and restore order, police resorted to a lathi charge. Additional police personnel were deployed in and around the hospital and other sensitive locations in Baruipur to prevent any further escalation.

Aginimitra Paul, Minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs of West Bengal, visited the victim’s family and spoke to the family members.

BARUIPUR, FIRST CHALLENGE TO SUVENDU ADHIKARI GOVERNMENT IN BENGAL

Nearly two months after assuming power, the Suvendu Adhikari administration is facing its first challenge in Bengal, following the horrific rape and murder of a minor girl and now the death of the 17-year-old.

Last week, the body of a 12-year-old was found stuffed in a gunny bag from a pond. The autopsy report revealed that the girl, who went missing hours ago, was subjected to brutal sexual torture before her death.

What added more fuel to the fire was the girl’s family’s claim that police did not promptly initiate an investigation to find the missing girl. In addition, several locals also alleged that Shantanu Mondol, a local BJP leader, helped one of the accused flee police custody.

First the incident of the rape-murder and now the death of another minor boy have triggered concerns over a declining law-and-order situation in Bengal’s political circles.

However, to ensure faith among the citizens and steadfast justice, the administration has taken some steps. The Chief Minister himself visited the rape and murder victim’s house on Tuesday, and his cabinet minister, Agnimitra Paul, also visited the house of the deceased boy.

Police have also arrested several people for being allegedly associated with both crimes.

- Ends