Indian authorities have arrested dozens of people following protests over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in West Bengal state. The violence and vandalism occurred in the days after the girl’s body was discovered in a pond on Sunday in Baruipur, a city roughly 30 kilometers from Kolkata. The girl had been reported missing a day earlier.

According to senior state police officer Arvind Kumar Anand, at least 35 individuals have been detained for their involvement in the unrest, which included blocking roads and setting vehicles on fire. Additional suspects are being identified through viral video footage. During the protests, police confirmed that one person, reportedly innocent, was lynched by an angry crowd.

In connection with the crime, police arrested four men. One suspect, Prabhas Mondal, was fatally shot early Wednesday as he allegedly attempted to escape while being taken to the crime scene during the investigation. Mondal’s mother declined to accept his body, stating in a television interview that he “did not do anything good” and that he had received punishment for his actions. Families of some other suspects have claimed innocence or said arrests were cases of mistaken identity, though no official comment was reported from all parties involved.

The incident has drawn strong responses from state officials. Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal’s chief minister since his party’s election victory in May, condemned both the original crime and the subsequent violence. He pledged that the government would not show leniency toward perpetrators of rape and violence or those responsible for the death of innocent individuals during the protests. Adhikari emphasized that justice would be pursued “to the fullest extent of the law.”

This case has revived concerns about the safety of women and girls in India, a persistent issue despite legislative reforms enacted after the widely condemned 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 22-year-old woman, which sparked mass demonstrations across the country. Four men convicted in that high-profile case were executed.

The events in West Bengal illustrate ongoing tensions surrounding gender-based violence and public reactions to such crimes, raising questions about law enforcement, public safety, and the protection of vulnerable populations in India.