Indian police have arrested dozens of people following violent protests over the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur, a town near Kolkata in West Bengal, according to Reuters and NBC News, published July 10. In just one week, the case has unfolded into mob violence, a police killing, and a political fight over what the crime means.

The girl went missing on July 4 and was found dead the next day in a pond near her home, stuffed in a sack, according to NDTV. A medical examination showed she had been sexually assaulted and thrown into the water while still alive, per The Telegraph India. Police say the attack happened in a remote area next to a railway track and was planned beforehand, according to NDTV.

Anger erupted quickly. Violent protests started Sunday morning when the body was discovered. A young person was killed by an angry mob in Baruipur during the chaos, per The Indian Express. Three people were arrested for the rape and murder, and police are still searching for a fourth, The Indian Express reported July 6. Police formed a special team to investigate the case.

On July 8, one of the arrested men — Prabhas Mondal — was killed during a police encounter (a confrontation with police that resulted in his death) about 100 metres from where the girl's body was found, according to The Indian Express. His wife told NDTV she believed he was guilty. Police killings like this often raise questions in India about whether people receive a fair trial or whether police are taking the law into their own hands.

Now the case has become tangled up in politics. The BJP (the ruling party) said the opposition was trying to use the crime to stoke religious division. The opposing Trinamool Congress party argued back against this claim, per The Indian Express. The state's Chief Minister said the mob killing of the young person was driven by religious tensions, according to The Indian Express. The state government also said it would pursue the death penalty for anyone convicted in the girl's case, per The Hindu.

The arrests announced on July 10 show anger in the streets has not died down, even after the alleged killer was killed by police and the government promised action. In India, crimes against children often trigger huge public protests and outrage. What started as an investigation into one crime has turned into a fight about bigger questions: Does police have too much power? Are religious divisions being made worse? Who is in control? The answers to these questions — and whether police can find the fourth suspect — will likely decide whether this case becomes a typical criminal trial or keeps causing unrest.