India: Woman's charred body found in West Bengal's Malda; rape suspected

The Times of India
Thu, 05 Dec 2019 08:11 UTC

© AFP

Demonstrators hold placards to protest against sexual assaults women in Kolkata on December 4.

In a rerun of the Hyderabad veterinary doctor's murder, a young woman's charred body was found in a mango orchard in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday, raising suspicion that she was raped and killed, a senior police officer said.

The body has suffered severe burns, making it difficult to ascertain the woman's identity, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Prasanta Debnath said.

Local farmers spotted the body in English Bazar Police Station area in the morning, following which they raised an alarm, the DCP, who visited the site along with Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria, said.

"Prima facie it seems that the victim is in her early 20s. Her body has several injury marks. We have sent it for post-mortem to Malda medical college," he said, adding that a probe has been initiated in the case.

Sources in the police department said that initial investigations indicated she was raped and strangulated to death and her body set on fire.

A pair of slippers and several matchsticks were found near the body, they said.

The incident came a week after a 27-year-old veterinary doctor's charred body was found under a culvert at Shadnagar in Hyderabad on November 28.

Four men, aged between 20 and 24, have been arrested on charges of raping and killing the woman.

Similar incidents were also reported from Buxar in Bihar and Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh over the past week.

Early on Thursday, a rape victim from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly set ablaze by five men, including the one who was accused in the crime, police said.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

Comment: What the hell is going on in India that so many of these stories of kidnapping, rape and murder of women is occurring with such frequency?!

And only too seldom to do we here of one of these horrific attempts being prevented:

A dramatic car chase in Kolkata, India ended with the arrest of a man who had abducted a woman and tied her up in the back of his truck. The suspect has been charged with kidnapping and attempted rape.

Police were tipped off about the suspicious truck by a civic volunteer, who reportedly heard groans of a woman coming from the vehicle's cabin while patrolling on his motorcycle. The truck sped away when the volunteer patrolman tried to confront its driver.

A high speed chase ensued. Police struggled to keep up with the truck, which was zigzagging across lanes on a state highway. The suspect reportedly even tried to ram several police cars. But the police managed to overtake the truck at an intersection.

A woman in her mid-30s - reportedly deaf and mute - was found behind the driver's seat, with her hands and legs tied. She was taken to a local hospital for medical examination. Police believe the truck driver spotted her on the street and forced her into his vehicle.