Baruipur Rape-Murder: BJP, TMC Trade Charges After Alleged Police Encounter Kills Prime Accused

The investigation into the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in West Bengal's Baruipur took a dramatic turn on Wednesday after Prabhas Mondal , one of the prime accused, was killed in an alleged police encounter during a crime scene reconstruction exercise, even as the incident sparked a sharp political confrontation and fresh protests in Kolkata.

According to police, Mondal was taken to Surjyapur in South 24 Parganas to reconstruct the sequence of events when he allegedly snatched a service firearm from a policeman , attempted to escape custody and fired at the police team. Officers retaliated in what they described as self-defence , leaving Mondal critically injured. He was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Police said an investigation into the encounter is underway as part of the ongoing probe.

The case stems from the disappearance of the 11-year-old girl on July 4 . Her body was recovered the following day from the Surjyapur Haat area, allegedly after she was raped and murdered. The incident triggered widespread outrage, violent protests and the lynching of a man later found to be innocent. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the case.

On Wednesday, police also arrested absconding accused Kabir Molla , taking the total number of arrests in the case to four , including Anand Sardar and Dibakar Sardar. In an emotional reaction, Sandhya Mondal , the mother of the deceased accused, refused to claim her son's body, saying he had "got what he deserved" if he had committed the crime. She said neither she nor any family member would visit the hospital or claim the body, adding that her son had long struggled with substance addiction and ignored her advice.

The alleged encounter triggered a political storm. While the BJP defended the police action as "divine justice" and reiterated its promise of zero tolerance against crimes against women, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders questioned the circumstances of the killing, with some describing it as "jungle law" and demanding an independent examination of the encounter.

Political tensions spilled onto the streets of Kolkata as TMC youth workers and BJP supporters clashed during a protest march over the Baruipur crime. The rally, permitted by the Calcutta High Court under strict conditions, witnessed slogan-shouting, attempts to block the procession and brief scuffles between workers of the two parties. Police resorted to a mild baton charge to disperse the groups and restore order, while traffic was disrupted across parts of south Kolkata. Authorities said the situation remained under control amid heavy security deployment.