Key Accused in Rape-Murder of 11-Year-Old Girl Killed in Police Encounter in Bengal
One of the four suspects arrested in connection with the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl was killed in a police encounter in the early hours of Wednesday in Baruipur, a suburb of Kolkata. The deceased, identified as Pravash Mondal, was taken to the crime scene for reconstruction around midnight when he allegedly attempted to snatch a firearm from the police and flee, according to sources.
Mondal was among four individuals arrested after the girl's body was discovered stuffed in a sack from a pond in Baruipur. The other three suspects have been identified as Ananda Sardar, Dibakar Sardar, and Kabir Mollah. Sources said that the Sardars had confessed to their involvement in the crime.
The girl's body was found on Sunday, triggering widespread violent protests in the southern suburbs. Angry locals damaged railway tracks and police vehicles, leading to the arrest of at least 20 people in connection with vandalism. According to police, some of those arrested were also involved in the lynching of an innocent man, Indrajit Mondal, who was beaten to death on suspicion of being involved in the rape and murder.
The arrests came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met the families of the girl and the lynching victim in Baruipur. He stated that 200 people had been identified for instigating violent protests. "Not a single person will get respite. The government will teach them proper lessons," the chief minister said.
Earlier, police had described the gang-rape and murder as a pre-planned act. Investigation revealed that Pravash Mondal was tasked with luring the girl to a secluded spot where the other two suspects had been camping. After the crime, the suspects stuffed the girl's body in a sack and threw it in a pond. The autopsy suggested that she was alive at that time, as water was found in her lungs.
Chief Minister Adhikari has directed all police stations across the district to take strict precautions to prevent atrocities against women. He has also ordered the Director General of Police, Siddh Nath Gupta, to submit a detailed report within 72 hours on the events and the progress of the investigation.
The incident has taken a political turn, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that the police were trying to shield the main accused. The opposition party has demanded a thorough inquiry into the encounter.
