Baruipur: Prabhas Mondal, a prime suspect in the planned gang-rape and murder of a minor girl, was killed in a police encounter at Surjapur early Wednesday, according to the reports. This marks the first police encounter since the BJP took power in West Bengal.
The minor went missing and her body was recovered from a local pond stuffed inside a sack on July 5. The autopsy revealed she was alive when thrown into the water. The discovery triggered widespread violence, where protestors blocked roads, damaged railway tracks, and vandalized police vehicles.
Amidst the chaos, an angry mob lynched an innocent man, Indrajit Mondal, falsely suspecting his involvement.
According to officials, a Baruipur Police Station team took Prabhas Mondal to the crime site around 12:45 a.m. for a scene reconstruction. Before it began, Mondal allegedly snatched an officer’s service weapon, fired at the team, and attempted to flee.
Police retaliated, injuring Mondal, who was declared dead at Baruipur Hospital.
Apart from Mondal, who lured the girl, police arrested co-accused Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar, who confessed, alongside a fourth suspect, Kabir Mollah. Additionally, 20 people have been arrested for vandalism and the lynching.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met both victims’ families, promising justice, compensations, a new police outpost, and murder charges for the lynching.
Attributing the violence to opposition and radical forces, Adhikari directed DGP Sidd Nath Gupta to submit an investigation report within 72 hours, warning against any official negligence.
