7-year-old raped in Howrah; Mob thrashes accused, RAF deployed

Widespread unrest has spread over Howrah’s Bankra Rajivpally, a seven-year-old KG-2 student was allegedly raped by a local man identified as Sheikh Shamsul. The crime came to light after the victim, initially silenced by trauma and fear, broke down while being questioned by her mother about her persistent sobbing. The child’s account of the ordeal quickly spread through the neighborhood, sparking an immediate and violent backlash from the local community.

The situation escalated rapidly as hundreds of enraged villagers tracked down Shamsul, dragging him from his hiding place and subjecting him to a severe physical assault. When officers from the Bankra police outpost arrived to intervene, the crowd attempted to snatch the accused from custody to deliver their own form of justice. To prevent a total breakdown of law and order, the administration was forced to deploy a large contingent of police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), who eventually managed to extract the injured accused under heavy security.

Locals have expressed deep resentment toward the village panchayat, alleging that Shamsul is a repeat offender whose previous crimes were "settled" internally rather than reported to the authorities. They claim this history of leniency emboldened the accused, leading to the current tragedy. Police officials have confirmed that the victim is undergoing a medical examination and a case has been filed under the POCSO Act, while RAF personnel continue to patrol the area to maintain a fragile peace.