One of the prime accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl in West Bengal’s Baruipur was killed in an alleged encounter on Wednesday morning after he tried to escape from police custody during the crime scene reconstruction process, a senior officer said.
The accused was taken to Surjiapur in Baruipur area of South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night to reconstruct the crime scene, the police official said.
A senior police officer of Baruipur police district said, “One of the accused Prabhas Mondal was taken to Suryapur early this morning to re-enact the crime. He snatched a firearm and fired one shot at the police and tried to escape. The police opened fire in retaliation. Mondal was injured and was taken to Baruipur hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.”
The body of the girl, who went missing on Saturday afternoon, was recovered from a pond on Sunday.
The preliminary autopsy report and police investigations revealed that she had been raped and murdered. Following the incident, a mob lynched 26-year-old Indrajit Tanti, who was later found to be innocent.
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The police have so far arrested four people, including Mondal, in connection with the rape and murder of the minor, while around 200 people have been identified who lynched the man, went on a rampage, attacked police personnel, set fire to a police vehicle and damaged railway tracks.
In a CCTV video, which emerged after the crime, Mondal was seen walking with a man. In a second clip, he was seen following the girl, and in a third clip, he was seen walking with the minor girl.
“Mondal lured the girl to the crime scene where she was raped. He promised her this $“$10,000 by the main accused Ananda Sardar,” another officer said.
“I have met both the families. They said they trust the government and the police. They have asked for help and made certain demands. I will return to Baruipur in a week. You will be able to see what the government is doing,” West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari told the media on Tuesday after meeting the families of the little girl.
