West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul on Tuesday, 7 July visited the family of the 12-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas district, describing the incident as 'extremely unfortunate' and assuring the bereaved family that justice would be delivered. The visit came a day after the arrest of the prime accused in the case.

Minister's Assurance to the Family

Speaking to reporters after the visit, Agnimitra Paul said, 'We came to the victim's uncle's house, where her father was staying. Her mother is here; this is her original home. It is extremely unfortunate. I have no words. We have come from the Department of Women and Child...We have come as representatives of the Chief Minister; he has sent us. We are here to give assurance, which the Chief Minister has already given many times, that justice will be delivered. This is not like previous governments, where such incidents happened every day and there was no justice.'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal President of the Mahila Morcha, Phalguni Patra, who was also present, said the victim's mother was 'not in a condition to speak.' Patra added, 'We have given our assurance, and the Chief Minister has also assured that those responsible for this act will face exemplary punishment. The government has also introduced a law to curb hooliganism. Since such incidents had spread like cancer under previous governments, it will take some time to eliminate.'

Prime Accused Arrested, Three in Custody

On 6 July, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police arrested the prime accused in the case. According to officials from the Baruipur Police District, the accused — identified as Ananda Sarkar — was apprehended from the Baruipur Bazar area.

Police officials stated that Ananda Sarkar had been under suspicion from the outset of the investigation and was the last of the three accused to be taken into custody. The two other accused, Pravas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar, had already been arrested earlier. All three are expected to be produced before a district court in South 24 Parganas, where the prosecution intends to seek police custody for further interrogation.

Chief Minister Calls Crime 'Heinous', Seeks Capital Punishment

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday described the crime as 'heinous' and assured the victim's family of the state government's full support. 'The government is making every arrangement according to the wishes of the victim's family. We will make every effort to ensure the accused receive capital punishment after a speedy conviction,' Adhikari said.

Notably, the Chief Minister also commented on the death of a man who was allegedly lynched by an angry mob protesting the girl's rape and murder, claiming there was a communal angle behind the mob violence. Authorities are continuing their investigation into both the rape-murder case and the subsequent incidents of unrest in the area.

Investigation and What Comes Next

The SIT is continuing its probe, with the court production of all three accused expected imminently. The case has drawn significant political attention, with both ruling and opposition figures making public assurances to the victim's family. How swiftly the legal process moves — and whether the state delivers on its promise of exemplary punishment — will be closely watched across West Bengal.