Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the West Bengal Police after one of the key accused in the rape and murder case of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur was killed in a police encounter, describing the incident as "jungle law".
Reacting to the development on X, Moitra wrote: "Baruipur rape murder accused Prabhash Mondal killed in encounter! What is going on @WBPolice? Bengalis please welcome new Bengal- Uttar Pradesh 2.0 @BJP4Bengal is no government. This js jungle law."
Her comments came shortly after Prabhas Mondal, identified as one of the main accused in the case, was killed during an incident that police described as an encounter while carrying out a crime scene reconstruction exercise in South 24 Parganas district. The incident marks the first such police action since the BJP government came to power in West Bengal in May.
Senior TMC leader Sougata Roy also raised questions over the police action, saying, "I condemn this encounter death. This happened within one day of the CM and DGP visiting. I don't know under whose instructions the police killed an accused instead of putting him in court. I am sure that a throrough inquiry will be done into this."
According to police officials, Mondal was taken to Surjyapur around 12.45 am to recreate the sequence of events after investigators alleged that he had provided contradictory statements during questioning.
A senior police officer said Mondal allegedly grabbed a service firearm belonging to a policeman, tried to escape custody and fired at the police team. The officers responded by firing in self-defence, causing bullet injuries to the accused. He was subsequently taken to Baruipur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Mondal was the first person arrested in the case and emerged as a key suspect after police claimed CCTV footage showed him with the victim shortly before she went missing.
Meanwhile, another accused, Kabir Molla, was arrested from Basirhat in a joint operation conducted by the STF, Baruipur SOG and district police. His arrest took the total number of people detained in connection with the case to four.
The girl's body was recovered from a pond in the Surjyapur Haat area on July 5, a day after she was reported missing. Police have alleged that she was gang-raped, murdered and her body was placed inside a sack before being thrown into the water.
The case sparked widespread anger across the area, with residents staging protests by blocking roads, burning tyres and damaging police vehicles while demanding immediate arrests and strict action against those responsible.
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