Kolkata Horror: 4-year-old sleeping next to grandmother kidnapped, sexually assaulted in Bengal

A four-year-old girl was kidnapped while she was sleeping beside her grandmother and subsequently sexually assaulted in Hooghly near Kolkata, police said. 

The incident took place on Friday, close to the Tarakeswar railway station, where the child's family had been staying, according to authorities. In a complaint filed later, the family alleged that the girl was taken from under her mosquito net -- reportedly slit open -- while she was asleep and then sexually assaulted.

When a child was found missing at dawn, panic erupted. After hours of searching, relatives discovered her in a bloodied state near a drain beside the station that afternoon.

"The child was asleep beside her maternal grandmother under a mosquito net when the accused allegedly cut through it and took her away. After hours of frantic searching, she was found near a drain bleeding, unclothed, with bite marks on her cheek. Despite hours of treatment, she is still bleeding from her genitals," said Parna Adak, Secretary of the BJP's Arambagh district.

After being taken to Tarakeswar Rural Hospital, the girl received first aid from the medical staff before being released.

 The girl was bleeding from her intimate areas, according to the family, and authorities neglected to notify the police right away. They accused hospital workers of handling the situation improperly.  They claimed that when they later went to the police station, officers allegedly told them to leave.

BJP leaders and employees stormed the premises in protest after police took the youngster back to the hospital for more medical testing.  They accused doctors and police of being careless.

 Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the Bengal Assembly, called Mamata Banerjee a "failed Chief Minister" and denounced her administration.

A 4-year-old girl has been Raped in Tarkeshwar. Family rushes to the Police Station, but FIR not registered ! Taken to the Hospital - referred to Chandannagar. Tarkeshwar Police busy burying the Crime. This is the True Face of Mamata Banerjee’s free-for-all regime. A child’s life is shattered, yet the Police are shielding the State’s Fake Law & Order Image, by suppressing the truth. Are they Police Officers or Mamata Banerjee's sycophants? Seems like Tarkeshwar Police have forgotten their Oath to uphold the Law. Mamata Banerjee, you are a Failed Chief Minister," Adhikar said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Tarakeswar MLA Ramendu Singha Roy called the incident "extremely regrettable" and pointed to a "security failure" on the part of the Railway Police, who oversee the area. "The family may have left the police station earlier in confusion over medical treatment, but the administration later ensured all necessary medical arrangements were made," Roy said.

Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), a formal complaint has been filed.