The police in Anandapur in West Bengal have arrested five women on the charge of trafficking in newborn babies. The arrests have been made at a time when there is a spurt in the complaints of child lifting in the area.
Earlier, the police failed to trace a newborn after 23 days of abduction. During the investigation, four more women were charged with involvement in the child-lifting ring, all have been arrested. The police are closely monitoring the cases to ascertain the extent of this child-trafficking racket.
Road accidents
On Tuesday, a class four student died on his way to school with her father after being hit by a lorry in the Krishnapur area of Bishnupur under the South 24 Parganas district.
The deceased student is identified as Kaushiki Bag who studied at a private school in Krishnapur.
The incident caused tension in the locality. Driver and helper of the lorry involved in the accident have been arrested.
In another case of road accident, a school girl died on Tuesday. She too was on her way to school with her father, Dhruba Bag, on a bicycle. Eye witnesses of the incident reported that a goods-laden lorry lost control and hit Dhrba’s bicycle a short distance away from the school causing Kaushiki to fall from the bicycle. She was rushed to the Amatala Rural Hospital with severe injuries. Doctors at the hospital declared her dead.
The eyewitnesses claimed that the lorry was moving at a high speed at the time of the accident. The news of the student’s death evoked instant reaction in the area with protesters demanding stringent punishment for the reckless driver. Civil volunteers held a protest demonstration in front of the school.