The investigation into the Sarsuna case in Kolkata, in which an 18-year-old man, his father and a 19-year-old friend were allegedly assaulted and forced to walk naked at gunpoint, has been transferred to the Detective Department, with the Special Juvenile Police Unit assigned to handle the involvement of minors.
Police are arranging for statements from key witnesses to be recorded before a magistrate. They include the 13-year-old girl at the centre of the investigation, the three alleged victims and at least two eyewitnesses, according to the report by Times of India – Kolkata. The statements are expected to form part of the evidence being assembled against those accused in the case.
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Kunal Aggarwal said the SJPU had been tasked with the investigation because minors were involved. He said the unit would handle the matter with sensitivity. The assignment places the case within a specialised policing framework while the Detective Department pursues the broader criminal investigation.
Four people have been arrested so far, including the parents and maternal uncle of the minor. Police are also examining the possible involvement of at least three local residents who are described as associates of one of the accused. The Anti-Rowdy Section of the Detective Department has been asked to trace the remaining suspects and recover the weapons allegedly used to threaten the victims.
Investigators have secured CCTV footage from the area and collected statements from about 15 witnesses. The report said the alleged incident began after an acquaintance of the girl’s family saw her with the 18-year-old boy. The boy and his 19-year-old friend were allegedly taken to the girl’s home, confined and assaulted. The boy’s father was subsequently summoned there, according to the account reported by the newspaper.
The father told the newspaper that he was assaulted in front of others and pressured to kill his son. He alleged that the family presented him with the option of using a firearm or a knife, and that he ultimately agreed to walk naked on the road. These allegations are part of the police investigation and will be tested through witness statements, video evidence and other material collected by investigators.
Police had earlier taken three arrested men to the Khudiram Pally Manasatala neighbourhood for a crime-scene recreation. They were reportedly made to walk barefoot in shorts with ropes tied around their bodies, while a large police and paramilitary presence formed a human chain to prevent an attack by local residents angered by the alleged incident.
The next stages of the probe will focus on recording magistrate statements, identifying and tracing the remaining suspects, and recovering the weapons allegedly used in the offence. The police investigation will also determine how the alleged assault unfolded and the roles of those present at the scene.
