Prabhash Mondal, the prime accused in the brutal rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, was shot dead by police in an encounter early Wednesday morning.
The girl went missing on Saturday, July 4. Her body was found the next day stuffed inside a sack in a pond in Baruipur. The post-mortem report confirmed sexual assault. Water in her lungs showed she was still alive when thrown into the pond.
Police took Mondal to the crime scene in Surjyapur around 12:45 am on Wednesday for reconstruction of events. Mondal snatched a policeman’s service firearm. He fired one round at the police team and tried to escape. Police fired back in self-defence and injured him. He was rushed to Baruipur Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
This was a pre-planned crime. Mondal lured the girl to a secluded spot. The other accused, Ananda Sardar, Dibakar Sardar, and Kabir Mollah were waiting there. They raped the child and dumped her body in the pond. CCTV footage showing the girl walking with Mondal helped police identify and arrest the accused quickly.
Four persons were arrested in total. Kabir Mollah was caught from Basirhat after he fled. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now probing the full case and the role of the remaining accused. The case was registered under BNS and POCSO Act.
The horrific crime triggered massive public outrage in Baruipur and nearby areas. Protesters blocked roads and railway tracks. They damaged public property and police vehicles. During the violence, a local resident named Indrajit Mondal was lynched by a mob on false suspicion. Police confirmed he had no connection to the crime. More than 20 people were arrested for the violence. Around 200 others were identified for vandalism and instigating protests.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the victim’s family. He directed DGP Siddh Nath Gupta to submit a detailed report within 72 hours. The report must cover the full sequence of events and check for any delay after the missing complaint. The Chief Minister also ordered all police stations in the district to strengthen safety measures for women and children.
West Bengal BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya backed the police action. He said, “No criminal will be spared. Before the elections, a promise was made to the women of West Bengal — ‘Fear out, Trust in’. This was the Prime Minister’s message. Whatever we had to say in our resolution letter and our manifesto, we have fulfilled.”
He added, “Currently, Suvendu Adhikari is the CM, and along with that, he is also the Home Minister; so today, the government has taken the step it was supposed to take. The rest is all out in the open before the people of West Bengal.”
Bhattacharya attacked the previous government and said, “We also saw Kamduni here, how the previous government conducted the inquiry, and they did it in such a way that the main accused was released just to please a specific community. The Kamduni victim did not receive justice. But today, that situation has changed. A new government has arrived.”
He declared, “On the land of Syama Prasad, the government of Syama Prasad has arrived. Now, no criminal and no rapist will be spared.”
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the police action. She called it “jungle law” on social media.
Mondal’s mother, Sandhya Mondal, told the media that her son had received the punishment for the crime he committed. She said she would neither claim his body nor attend his last rites.
The SIT continues its investigation. Separate legal action is underway for the mob violence and the lynching incident.
