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A Central force jawan deployed for election duty has been arrested following allegations of molestation in Haripal in Hooghly on Friday evening, triggering widespread outrage and tension in the area. Local residents apprehended the accused and handed him over to the police, after which he was taken into custody.

 

According to police sources, the arrested jawan was produced before the Chandernagore court on Saturday and remanded to police custody for three days for further investigation.

 

According to a local resident, the incident occurred on Friday evening near Bandipur Market when a school student was returning home on her bicycle after attending private tuition classes. The accused jawan allegedly grabbed her hand and began manhandling her. Realising the gravity of the situation, the student abandoned her bicycle and fled in fear, eventually taking shelter in a nearby tribal settlement, where residents came to her assistance.

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Based on the student’s description, locals tracked down and apprehended the accused. Soon after, personnel from Haripal Police Station reached the spot, took him into custody, and brought him to the police station. News of the incident spread rapidly, drawing an angry crowd outside the station.

 

The incident also sparked political protests, with workers and supporters of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) staging a demonstration outside the police station on Friday night. The protest was led by Karabi Manna, the party’s candidate from Haripal, who demanded strict punishment for the accused. “Such behaviour is unacceptable from forces entrusted with safeguarding the nation’s security. The people of Haripal are demanding justice,” she said.

 

The student’s father alleged that his daughter had called him during the incident, saying that a CRPF jawan was chasing her. “She somehow managed to escape and save herself. Local women caught hold of the accused,” he said, further claiming that the jawan appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. He also questioned the conduct of the Central forces deployed in the area.