1st Police Encounter Under BJP-Rule in WB Leaves Baruipur Gangrape
The two bullet injuries suggest that Prabhas was face to face with the cops
Kolkata: The sensational case of a girl's gangrape and murder at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas of West Bengal witnessed a twist early Wednesday when the police shot dead one of the four arrested accused in an encounter in its custody, signalling the entry of a trend of extra-judicial killings to the state from Uttar Pradesh after BJP came to power here.
The deceased, Prabhas Mondal, was a key accused and also the first to be held in the case for forcibly taking the 12-year-old victim to at least two other accused, Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar. He also confessed his role and blamed others by naming them for the gangrape and murder before the media after his arrest from Surjyapur on July 5 evening.
At around 12.45 am on Wednesday, the cops took Prabhas, who was sent by the court to police remand two days ago, to the place of occurrence for a reconstruction of the crime as part of the probe. The location was an isolated wetland covered with bushes. After reaching there, Prabhas allegedly snatched the service revolver, which was tucked in the waist of Rony Sarkar, the circle-in-charge of Canning Police Station, and started running away with it.
When the cops chased him, he opened fire at them. No one was hurt however. To foil the escape bid of the accused and for self defence, Arghya Mondal, who is inspector-in-charge of the Baruipur Police Station, then fired two rounds from his service revolver on the right chest and waist of Prabhas leading to his collapse on the ground.
The two bullet injuries suggest that Prabhas was face to face with the cops. He was rushed to Baruipur Sub Division Hospital where he was declared dead. The body was sent for post-mortem. A judicial probe has been ordered in the encounter. Interestingly, no media briefing by the police happened about its brave act which unfolded hours after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari met the girl's family at Baruipur on Tuesday and set a 72-hour deadline to state DGP SN Gupta for strong action.
The police apparently got a relief when the family members of the slain accused justified the encounter for his role in the crime on the girl. Sandhya Mondal, mother of Prabhas, said, “He got what he deserved. No one will go to collect the body. I will not see him. He never paid heed to us. Now he got his punishment.”
On the other hand, the slain girl's father also expressed his satisfaction at the encounter. He said, “Whatever is happening is good. We have faith in our CM for justice.” Meanwhile, the police arrested Kabir Molla, the fourth accused, from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas on Tuesday night.
