the Gangarampur police have been accused of remaining mum on a case of a minor girl student who went missing five months ago.

Following the intervention of the Governor’s Secretariat through the Joint Secretary of the West Bengal Government, and several commissions, including Child Protection, Commission for Women and others, the Gangarampur police have kept tight-lipped and have failed to initiate a probe into the matter.

Advertisement

The parents of the missing girl, in the meantime, are moving from pillar to post to get their lost child back. However, they said they have only experienced “rudeness and discourtesy” of the police for their repeated queries.

It is learnt that Sulekha Sarkar, a standard nine student and daughter of Shyamal Kumar Sarkar, went missing on 13 October last year from the Indranarayanpur High School in Gangarampur.

According to an FIR lodged at the Gangarampur police station on 14 October 2017, Sulekha went out of the house for her private coaching early morning that day.

After her coaching she usually used to come back within 12 noon, but she did not return that day. Her brothers, Shibnath Sarkar and Ashim Sarkar left no stone unturned to trace their sister but in vain, it is learnt.

They later lodged a missing diary. Shymal Kumar Sarkar, the father of the missing girl said, “We are seeking help of the police to trace my daughter since October last, but they are inactive. A number of officials have rather misbehaved with us for our repeated asking about our daughter. I have written to the Chief Minister and the Governor and to other commissions. All of them, except for the Chief Minister’s Office, have instructed the police to take action, but they failed to take further steps.”

A district member of the Child Welfare Committee, Suraj Dash, said the situation was very pathetic. “Even after intervention of different commissions and the Secretariat of the Governor, Gangarampur police have remained mum. It is not a big task for the police to find the girl. They can solve the problem easily, but it is unfortunate that they are ignoring the matter,” he said.

The Superintendent of Police, South Dinajpur, Prasun Banerjee and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gangarampur, Bipul Banerjee refused to comment on the issue.