West Bengal minor's murder: HC orders autopsy at AIIMS

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed that the post-mortem of the minor who was allegedly raped and murdered in South 24 Parganas district on Friday, be conducted at AIIMS Hospital in Kalyani in the presence of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Baruipur court on Monday morning. The court also observed that the parents need to be present virtually and videography of the entire process be done. The nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Jaynagar while returning home from her tuition class. Her body was recovered from a canal early Friday morning.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, during the hearing in the HC, said the autopsy can be conducted using Kalyani Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital infrastructure, if AIIMS is not completely equipped with the autopsy infrastructure. But it has to be done by an expert from AIIMS, Kalyani, and no staff of JNM should be present in the autopsy room, the court directed.

The West Bengal government had moved the Calcutta High Court on Sunday in accordance with the demands of the victim's father, seeking a post-mortem in a central government hospital in the presence of a judicial magistrate.

Justice Ghosh ordered that the police should register a case under the POCSO Act and asked the police why sections under POCSO were not added.