A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a young woman in Malda’s Manikchak. The accused, who was posted at Manikchak Police Station, was taken into custody based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family. He was produced before the court on Friday.
The victim, a married woman residing in her paternal home in a remote village under Manikchak Police Station, reportedly fell ill with abdominal pain on Thursday night. Her mother sought help from a local civic volunteer. Allegedly, the civic volunteer deceitfully sent the victim’s mother to fetch water from a nearby river and took advantage of the empty house to assault the victim.
According to the family, the victim lost consciousness after the incident. When she regained consciousness, she narrated the ordeal to her mother. On Friday morning, the family lodged a written complaint against the accused at Manikchak Police Station.
Speaking to the media, the victim’s mother said, “I called the civic volunteer because my daughter was unwell. He sent me to fetch water and then violated her. Civic volunteers are meant to protect us, but he betrayed that trust. I demand the strictest punishment for him.” The police have registered a case of rape against the accused and arrested him. He was produced before Malda District Court on Friday.
This incident has brought civic volunteers’ accountability under scrutiny. In August, a civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy was arrested for the alleged rape and murder of a medical student in Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court. The repeated involvement of civic volunteers in such crimes has raised questions about their screening and training. Activists have demanded stricter regulations and immediate action to prevent such incidents in the future.