India
-Gaurav Sharma
The Trinamool Congress has alleged that party chairperson Mamata Banerjee was stopped from leaving her residence on July 5 after she planned to visit Baruipur to meet the family of a 12-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered. The party claimed that police barricades and a large deployment were placed outside her home to prevent the visit.
The allegation has added a sharp political turn to an already sensitive criminal case in South 24 Parganas district. The death of the minor has triggered anger in the area, while the alleged lynching of one accused has further raised concerns over law and order, policing and public unrest.
Trinamool Congress alleges Chairperson Mamata Banerjee was prevented from visiting Baruipur on July 5 to meet the family of a 12-year-old girl allegedly raped and murdered, accusing the BJP-led state government of using police barricades to restrict her movement amidst rising political tensions in South 24 Parganas.
In a post on X, the All India Trinamool Congress said Banerjee wanted to travel to Baruipur but was prevented from doing so after the administration came to know about her plan. The party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government of using police force to restrict her movement.
TMC claims Mamata Banerjee was stopped from visiting Baruipur
“Our Chairperson, @MamataOfficial, wanted to visit Baruipur. Upon learning this, a massive deployment of police personnel and barricades was put in place outside her residence to prevent her from leaving,” the party said in its post. It also used the hashtag “JusticeForBaruipur” while demanding action in the case.
The TMC said Banerjee “stands firmly with the victim’s family” and remains committed to ensuring justice. The party’s charge is politically significant because it frames the police action not just as a security measure, but as an attempt to stop an Opposition leader from meeting a grieving family.
Our Chairperson, @MamataOfficial, wanted to visit Baruipur. Upon learning this, a massive deployment of police personnel and barricades was put in place outside her residence to prevent her from leaving.
Despite these attempts to stop her, our demand remains unchanged:… pic.twitter.com/o6dayiSNOF
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 5, 2026
There was no immediate detailed official explanation in the provided information on why the barricades were placed outside Banerjee’s residence. In such situations, police generally cite security, crowd control or prevention of tension, but no such specific reason has been established from the available details.
The alleged restrictions come at a time when Baruipur is tense after the minor’s death. The incident has drawn public anger, with residents and the child’s family questioning the police response before the body was found. The case has also become a political flashpoint, with rival parties expected to trade charges over accountability.
What police and family have said about the Baruipur case
According to the police version cited in the available account, the girl had left her home on Saturday afternoon to buy a birthday gift for a friend. She did not return, prompting her family to begin searching for her. The family has alleged that four men forcibly took her away.
The family also claimed that their appeals for help were not acted upon adequately by the police. They said they continued searching through the night. These allegations are central to the anger in the locality because they raise questions over whether timely intervention could have changed the outcome.
On Sunday morning, local residents reportedly caught one of the suspects. Police said the suspect allegedly disclosed where the girl’s body had been hidden. Residents then recovered the body from the Surjyapur Haat area, where it was allegedly found stuffed inside a sack near a pond.
The case took another serious turn when one of the accused died after he was allegedly attacked by the victim’s relatives and local residents. The alleged lynching has complicated the investigation, as police must now examine both the rape-murder case and the circumstances that led to the accused person’s death.
Police have detained one person described in the available account as an alleged BJP worker in connection with the case. A Special Investigation Team has also been formed to investigate the incident. The SIT will be expected to establish the sequence of events, identify all accused, examine forensic evidence and assess the police response.
Why the case has become politically sensitive
Crimes against minors often generate immediate public outrage, especially when families allege delay or inaction by police. In this case, the political temperature rose further because the TMC linked Banerjee’s alleged confinement to her attempt to meet the family. The BJP-led administration is now likely to face questions on both policing and political conduct.
For the TMC, the issue offers a chance to target the government over women’s safety, police accountability and the right of political leaders to visit affected families. For the ruling side, the challenge is to show that the investigation remains independent, prompt and not influenced by the political identity of any accused person.
The death of an accused in mob violence also places pressure on the administration. While public anger in such cases can be intense, the law requires that suspects be tried through the criminal justice system. Any breakdown of that process can weaken the investigation and make it harder to secure convictions.
The priority now will be to protect the victim’s family, preserve evidence and ensure that the investigation is not derailed by political claims or street tension. The SIT’s findings, the post-mortem report and the police account of response time will be key to establishing what happened in Baruipur and who must be held responsible.
