Hours after Prabhas Mondal, one of the accused of raping and killing a minor girl in West Bengal’s Baruipur, was killed in an alleged encounter, his family has refused to claim his body.
“He got what he deserved for what he did,” news agency PTI reported. The accused’s mother told reporters on Wednesday after police informed her of Mondal’s death. A senior officer said the accused died in an alleged encounter after he “snatched a firearm from a policeman and tried to escape from custody” while reconstructing the crime scene.
Mondal’s mother said police arrived at her home earlier today and confirmed her son’s identity, asking her if she wanted to see him. However, she refused to do so, saying that neither she nor her family would claim his body.
“I don’t want to see his face. I won’t go to claim the body, and no one from the family will either,” the agency quoted her as saying. The defendant’s mother, after her son was arrested, had said publicly that her son should be punished if he was proven guilty. She had claimed that her son was addicted to alcohol and never listened to her advice.
Mondal promised to seduce a young girl $10,000 for the main accused
The minor girl, who was raped and murdered, was lured by Mondal “to the crime scene” on July 4, an officer said. “He promised $“$10,000 by the main accused Ananda Sardar,” the officer added, and Mondal took the girl to the hut where two other accused were already present.
The body of the deceased was recovered on Sunday (July 5) from a pond in Surjiapur Hat area. Then, angry locals protested, blocking the Baruipur-Joynagar road, setting tires on fire and vandalizing police vehicles. They also summarily executed a 26-year-old man on suspicion of involvement in the crime, but he was later found to be innocent.
“About 200 people who damaged police vehicles and uprooted railway tracks have been identified. All of them will be arrested… Political figures and anti-national and extremist forces who incited the violence have also been identified,” West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.
Adhikari met the families of the deceased minor and the man who was lynched. “They said they trust the government and the police. They have sought help and made certain demands including setting up a police station in the area. I will return to Baruipur in a week,” he added. The Prime Minister directed Director General of Police Syed Nath Gupta to submit a report on the incident within 72 hours.
Four people were arrested in connection with the crime, including Mondal, who was the first to be arrested. Others include Kabir Maula, from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, Anand Sardar and Dibkar Sardar.
(With inputs from Joydeep Thakur)
