Baruipur rape-murder: Prime accused Ananda Sarkar arrested, CM Adhikari vows capital punishment
Synopsis
All three accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur are now in custody after the SIT arrested prime suspect Ananda Sarkar on Monday. With mob violence, a lynching, damaged railway tracks, and the Chief Minister personally vowing capital punishment, this case has escalated into one of West Bengal's most charged law-and-order flashpoints of 2025.
Key Takeaways
Ananda Sarkar , the prime accused in the Baruipur rape-murder case, was arrested on Monday afternoon from Baruipur Bazar by the state SIT .
Two other accused — Pravas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar — had already been arrested; all three will be produced in a South 24 Parganas district court.
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari vowed to pursue capital punishment for the accused after quick conviction.
The victim, a 12-year-old girl , was found in a pond on Sunday morning ; family alleged rape and murder.
Post-discovery protests turned violent — a person was lynched, two CRPF jawans were injured, and a police vehicle was torched.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163, BNSS 2023 imposed across three police station areas in Baruipur.
The prime accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, was arrested on Monday afternoon, 7 July 2025, by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari pledged to pursue capital punishment for all those convicted in the case.
The Arrest
The SIT apprehended the principal accused, identified as Ananda Sarkar, from the Baruipur Bazar area on Monday afternoon, according to officials from the Baruipur Police District. Sarkar is the last of three accused to be taken into custody; the other two — Pravas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar — had been arrested earlier in connection with the case.
All three accused are to be produced before a district court in South 24 Parganas later on Monday or on Tuesday, with the Public Prosecutor set to seek police custody for each of them.
What the Chief Minister Said
Addressing media persons on Monday afternoon, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the incident as heinous and said the state administration would make an all-out effort to secure the harshest possible sentence. 'This is a heinous incident. The government is making arrangements to do what the family wants. Will try to ensure capital punishment for the accused persons after quick conviction,' Adhikari said.
Adhikari also weighed in on a separate and deeply troubling development: a person was reportedly lynched by a mob during protests that erupted over the girl's death. The Chief Minister alleged a communal angle behind the mob violence, though he declined to elaborate further at the time.
Protests, Violence, and Section 163 Orders
Protests broke out in the Baruipur area following the discovery of the girl's body, with demonstrators allegedly damaging railway tracks on Sunday. Adhikari drew comparisons to earlier episodes of civil unrest, saying the nature of the disruption was reminiscent of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019 and more recent agitation against the Waqf Amendment Bill.
During Sunday's unrest, two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were injured and a police vehicle was torched, according to the Chief Minister. Anticipating further tension, the Baruipur Police District imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 across areas under three police stations in its jurisdiction.
How the Case Came to Light
The body of the 12-year-old victim was recovered from a pond in the Baruipur area on Sunday morning. Family members of the deceased alleged that she had been raped and murdered. The SIT was constituted to investigate the case, and the arrest of Sarkar on Monday marks the conclusion of the initial phase of the investigation with all three suspects now in custody.
With the accused set to face court proceedings and the Chief Minister personally committing to capital punishment, the case now enters a critical judicial phase that will be closely watched across the state.
Point of View
But the larger story is what erupted around the crime — a lynching, torched police vehicles, and damaged rail tracks. Chief Minister Adhikari's invocation of the CAA protests and the Waqf agitation as comparators is a pointed political framing that goes well beyond law enforcement. Whether the communal angle he alleged is substantiated will determine whether this remains a crime story or becomes a governance crisis. The capital punishment pledge, while politically resonant, is a judicial matter that no executive can guarantee — and promising it to grieving families without that caveat raises accountability questions of its own.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the prime accused in the Baruipur rape-murder case?
The prime accused is Ananda Sarkar , who was arrested by the state SIT from the Baruipur Bazar area on Monday afternoon. The other two accused, Pravas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar , had been arrested earlier in the case.
What happened to the 12-year-old girl in Baruipur?
The body of the 12-year-old girl was recovered from a pond in the Baruipur area of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on Sunday morning. Family members alleged she had been raped and murdered, prompting the constitution of a Special Investigation Team.
What did CM Suvendu Adhikari say about the case?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state would make an all-out effort to secure capital punishment for the accused after a quick conviction. He described the incident as heinous and said the government was working to fulfil the wishes of the victim's family.
What violence broke out after the girl's body was found?
Protests erupted in the Baruipur area, during which railway tracks were allegedly damaged. A person was reportedly lynched by a mob, two CRPF jawans were injured, and a police vehicle was set on fire. CM Adhikari alleged a communal angle behind the mob lynching.
What restrictions have been imposed in Baruipur?
The Baruipur Police District has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in areas under three police stations within its jurisdiction, anticipating further tension following the incident.
