Kolkata: A case of sexual assault lasting several months followed by medical negligence – where a teenage pregnancy was kept under wraps by two sets of families – has come to light in Entally, leading to the arrest of a 19-year-old youth and triggering a wider probe into the role played by the parents of both the victim and the accused.Police said the victim, a 16-year-old girl residing in the Entally police station area, delivered a baby girl at her residence on Sept 21 without any medical assistance. Her parents allegedly refused to take her to a hospital to conceal the pregnancy, leaving both the teenage mother and the newborn in critical health conditions.The matter surfaced only after the condition of the infant deteriorated drastically, forcing the family to rush the newborn to Chittaranjan Seva Sadan Hospital. Observing the severe complications, treating doctors questioned the teenage mother and unearthed a sequence of events that began in Dec last year following which the hospital authorities immediately alerted Lalbazar and the local police.According to the victim’s statement, the accused had repeatedly subjected her to sexual assault since Dec 25, 2025 leading to her pregnancy. The accused reportedly promised to marry her and subjected her to rape, claimed cops.Based on the formal, signed statement of the survivor, Entally Police registered a FIR under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act—pertaining to aggravated penetrative sexual assault—read with Section 64(2)(m) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators swiftly arrested the FIR-named accused, identified as Alam, a resident of Kulia.“The primary accused has been taken into custody. The investigation continues. We are examining the criminal liability of the parents from both sides who deliberately suppressed the pregnancy and allowed an unassisted home delivery, endangering two lives,” said a senior officer of the eastern suburban division.Cops are currently questioning the parents of both the girl and the accused to ascertain if they actively conspired to hide the incident from law enforcement and healthcare workers. Detectives are also scanning local pharmacy records and interrogating neighborhood quacks to determine whether any medical consultations or illegal attempts at termination took place during the nine-month period.Both the mother and her child remain under close medical observation at the hospital, while police prepare to record the survivor’s statement before a magistrate. Further charges under appropriate sections may be added as the probe progresses.
