Girl killed for lichees

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 10: A seven-year-old girl, Sahida Khatoon, was allegedly killed by the owner of a lichee farm on charges of stealing litchees at Jhabritola in Malda’s Kaliachak police station area on 8 May, the Malda SP, Mr Dilip Kumar Mandal, said today. Police have detained three persons ~ the farm owner, his son and son-in-law ~ for interrogation in connection with Sahida’s killing. The investigating official informed that the culprit had chopped off the girl’s hands and legs and her belly and throat were ripped open. Family members found the body lying near a pond, stuffed in a cement bag. The Malda SP said it is brutal to kill somebody just for lichees. It was learnt that on the day of the election, Sahida, with a group of friends had gone to the lichee garden at about 10 a.m. The group was caught by the garden owner, who confined them to their house and threatened to kill Sahida.A quarrel ensued but Sahida’s family managed to free her after discussions with the garden owner. “Later at about 3 pm the same day, Sahida went missing and was not to be found anywhere, following which her father lodged a complaint with the police on 9 May,” Mr Timir Banerjee, inspector-in-charge of Kaliaganj police station, said. Today, at 7 a.m., family members found the body near a pond, which is at a distance of about 200 metres from the place where the incident took place. Police reached the spot at 10 a.m. and recovered the girl’s body. Police said the body has been sent for a postmortem examination and they had requested the doctors to check if any sexual harassment occurred prior to the killing.