What led to the first police encounter under BJP govt in West Bengal?
The deceased was one of the four men accused in the gangrape-murder case of a 12-yer-old girl at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas
The 12-year-old girl’s body was recovered from a pond in South 24 Parganas on July 5, triggering outrage and violent protests in the area.
According to police, Mondal was taken to Surjyapur in Baruipur for reconstruction of the crime. Shortly before the exercise began, he allegedly snatched the service firearm of a policeman, fired a round at the police team and attempted to flee. The police retaliated by opening fire. Mondal was declared dead on being wheeled into the Baruipur Hospital.
Mondal, according to the police probe, allegedly lured the girl to his three accomplices. After the alleged gangrape, the girl’s body was stuffed into a sack and dumped in a pond. The post-mortem report suggests she was alive when thrown into the water.
A six-member special investigation team, along with the Baruipur police, arrested three of the four accused on July 6—Mondal, Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar. The fourth, Kabir Mollah, was apprehended from Basirhat.
Police sources said the accused had confessed during interrogation, although those claims are yet to be tested in court.
The gruesome crime sparked massive public anger. Protesters blocked roads, damaged railway tracks, vandalised police vehicles and indulged in arson. During the unrest, a mob lynched a man, Indrajit Mondal, on mere suspicion of being one of the perpetrators of the crime.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited Baruipur on July 7 and met both the families of the girl and the lynching victim, directed director general of police (DGP) Siddh Nath Gupta to submit a detailed report on the case within 72 hours.
“The entire matter has been examined and primary analysis done. I have asked the DGP to submit a report within 72 hours. We will take strict action accordingly. If there was police negligence after lodging of the complaint, even one per cent, action will be taken," Adhikari said.
On the public violence, Adhikari said around 200 suspects had been identified. “All of them will be arrested. The government will teach them a lesson,” he declared.
Suspect Mondol’s mother described his death in the police encounter as “punishment for the crime he committed”.
The girl’s family has alleged that a quicker police response following the lodging of the missing person's complaint could have saved her. Responding to those allegations, the chief minister said accountability would be fixed if negligence by the police was established. The BJP government, at the request of the girl’s family, announced that a police outpost will be set up at Surjyapur.
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The 12-year-old girl’s body was recovered from a pond in South 24 Parganas on July 5, triggering outrage and violent protests in the area.
According to police, Mondal was taken to Surjyapur in Baruipur for reconstruction of the crime. Shortly before the exercise began, he allegedly snatched the service firearm of a policeman, fired a round at the police team and attempted to flee. The police retaliated by opening fire. Mondal was declared dead on being wheeled into the Baruipur Hospital.
Mondal, according to the police probe, allegedly lured the girl to his three accomplices. After the alleged gangrape, the girl’s body was stuffed into a sack and dumped in a pond. The post-mortem report suggests she was alive when thrown into the water.
A six-member special investigation team, along with the Baruipur police, arrested three of the four accused on July 6—Mondal, Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar. The fourth, Kabir Mollah, was apprehended from Basirhat.
Police sources said the accused had confessed during interrogation, although those claims are yet to be tested in court.
The gruesome crime sparked massive public anger. Protesters blocked roads, damaged railway tracks, vandalised police vehicles and indulged in arson. During the unrest, a mob lynched a man, Indrajit Mondal, on mere suspicion of being one of the perpetrators of the crime.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited Baruipur on July 7 and met both the families of the girl and the lynching victim, directed director general of police (DGP) Siddh Nath Gupta to submit a detailed report on the case within 72 hours.
“The entire matter has been examined and primary analysis done. I have asked the DGP to submit a report within 72 hours. We will take strict action accordingly. If there was police negligence after lodging of the complaint, even one per cent, action will be taken," Adhikari said.
On the public violence, Adhikari said around 200 suspects had been identified. “All of them will be arrested. The government will teach them a lesson,” he declared.
Suspect Mondol’s mother described his death in the police encounter as “punishment for the crime he committed”.
The girl’s family has alleged that a quicker police response following the lodging of the missing person's complaint could have saved her. Responding to those allegations, the chief minister said accountability would be fixed if negligence by the police was established. The BJP government, at the request of the girl’s family, announced that a police outpost will be set up at Surjyapur.
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