Minor Gangraped in Abandoned Factory, TMC Youth Leader Among Arrested in Hooghly
16-year-old allegedly gang-raped in Hooghly abandoned factory; TMC youth leader & minor boyfriend arrested.
In a chilling case of betrayal and brutality, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by her boyfriend and his associates, including a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth leader, inside an abandoned factory in West Bengal's Hooghly district. Police arrested two suspects on Friday, slapping stringent POCSO charges, as a manhunt intensifies for two more absconders amid rising political accusations of cover-ups.
The assault occurred Thursday evening at the derelict Hindmotor factory premises in Uttarpara—a sprawling, rusting relic of Bengal's industrial past, shuttered since the 1990s and notorious as a haunt for anti-social elements due to its isolated, overgrown grounds patrolled sporadically by locals. The victim, a 16.5-year-old Class X student from a nearby slum, had accompanied her 17-year-old boyfriend—whom police describe as the primary lure—to the site under the pretext of a casual hangout. There, they allege, he was joined by Dipankar Adhikari alias Sonai (24), a TMC youth wing functionary and area strongman known for organizing local rallies, along with two unidentified associates.
According to the FIR lodged Friday morning after the girl confided in her family, the group locked the factory gates, gagged her, and subjected her to repeated sexual assault over two hours. She was threatened with death and video blackmail to ensure silence. Bruised and traumatized, she fled barefoot and raised an alarm, prompting swift police action. A medical examination at Hooghly District Hospital confirmed forcible penetration, semen traces, and injuries consistent with gangrape, bolstering the case under POCSO Sections 4 (penetrative assault), 6 (aggravated penetrative assault), and IPC Sections 376D (gangrape) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
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Hooghly Superintendent of Police (SP) Asol Biswas confirmed arrests: the minor boyfriend, remanded to the Juvenile Justice Board for counseling and observation, and Sonai, now in 14-day judicial custody. "Statements are being recorded; a Test Identification (TI) parade is underway today. We're raiding hideouts in Kolkata and neighboring districts for the two fugitives," SP Biswas told reporters, denying early political pressure but noting, "Affiliations don't shield criminals—investigation from all angles."
The TMC link has ignited a firestorm. Local leader Nitai Dasgupta admitted Sonai's party role, demanding, "If guilty, expel him immediately and hand him to justice." District TMC chief Ajay Shankar echoed, "No tolerance for crime; punishment must follow." BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul seized the moment to slam the Mamata Banerjee regime: "Bengal's women unsafe under a woman CM—routine rapes expose lawlessness. BJP will end this after 2026 polls." The incident revives memories of 2023's Sandeshkhali scandals, where TMC leaders faced similar allegations, fueling opposition cries of systemic rot amid West Bengal's 3,000+ annual POCSO cases (NCRB 2025).
Victim support includes CWC counseling and legal aid; police assure a fast-track trial per POCSO mandates, aiming for conclusion within 60 days. As search teams scour the factory's labyrinthine sheds, the case underscores Bengal's persistent gender violence crisis, with activists demanding CCTV mandates at derelict sites.
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