DARJEELING: (TOI)

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) trooper was on Saturday arrested for allegedly molesting a minor schoolgirl in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, police said.

The incident which happened under Ghoom Jorebunglow police station in the district, led to people staging angry protests. Police carried out a "mild" baton charge after protestors clashed with them resulting in minor injuries to a few policemen.

The victim, a class 11 student was returning home when the accused posted at a checkpost, allegedly caught the girl by her hand and tried to pull her towards him.

Following her screams, locals thrashed the RAF man and handed over the police.

Led by the students' wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, people put up road blockades and shouted slogans in protest which eventually ensued into a scuffle with police.

While police admitted it had carried out a baton charge to disperse the crowd, protestors alleged that they had fired in air.

The GJM's students' wing has called a 12 hour shutdown in the Darjeeling hills Sunday in protest.