Kolkata Crime: Found naked and bleeding in drain; 4-year-old girl assaulted near Tarakeswar

Kolkata: In a harrowing incident in Hooghly district of West Bengal on Friday, a girl aged just four years was allegedly taken from under a mosquito net while she slept beside her family near Tarakeswar railway station. The family say the net was slit and the child abducted, only for her to be found later that afternoon near a drain beside the station, unclothed and bleeding, with visible bite marks on her cheek and injuries to her genital area. She was rushed to Tarakeswar Rural Hospital, where she was given first aid and later moved for further investigation and medical examination. Delay, protests and questions over response According to the girl’s family and local political workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party, multiple hours passed before authorities responded. Hospital and police inaction triggered anger: protesters claim the police station did not register an FIR immediately, and the hospital failed to alert the investigators despite the child’s condition. BJP local leaders accused police of only acting after public uproar. At the hospital, supporters of the BJP gathered in protest, demanding swift justice and accountability for what they alleged was a breakdown of law-and-order in the region. Five Indians kidnapped in Mali, amid al-Qaeda and ISIS influence in African Nation Security flaws highlighted The area around the incident falls under railway police jurisdiction, placing the spotlight on the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local station security. The MLA of Tarakeswar, Ramendu Singha Roy, called the incident “extremely regrettable” and pointed to a “security failure” on the part of the railway police. He said the administration later made arrangements for the child and family, but the initial delay remains a serious issue. What next ? The local police have reportedly launched an investigation under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, after registering a formal complaint from the family. The hospital is coordinating for a full medical examination of the child, while the police seek to identify and apprehend the accused. As the investigation proceeds, local activists and political workers are demanding transparency, swift registration of the FIR, forensic probe and regular updates on the case. Coimbatore Horror: College student assaulted by 3 men near airport, accused on run Bigger picture This incident arrives at a time when questions around child protection, institutional accountability and the safety of vulnerable populations in informal shelters are growing. Advocates say the lapse in registration and delayed medical-forensic response can hinder both justice and healing for the young victim. In terms of public policy and law enforcement, the incident raises urgent questions: Are station-adjacent shelters properly patrolled? Do hospital emergency procedures ensure timely child-victim response? And are police stations adequately equipped to act swiftly in such emergencies?