Baruipur Rape-Murder Shockoneer: Prime Accused Shot Dead In Late-Night Police Encounter

Kolkata: In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves across West Bengal, Prabhas Mondal, the prime suspect in the horrific Baruipur rape-murder case involving a 12-year-old girl, was killed in a late-night police encounter. The shootout took place in the early hours of Wednesday at Suryapur in South 24 Parganas district.

According to senior police officials, a specialized team from the Baruipur Police Station had escorted Mondal to the place of occurrence at around 12:45 AM for a standard crime scene reconstruction. The investigation took an unexpected turn when the suspect allegedly attempted a desperate escape.

Weapon Snatching and Retaliation

Baruipur Superintendent of Police, Palash Chandra Dhali, confirmed that Mondal managed to overpower an officer just before the reconstruction began. He snatched a service firearm, fired a round directly at the police contingent, and fled into the dark.

"Our team had to open fire in self-defense," stated SP Dhali. Mondal sustained severe bullet wounds during the brief exchange of gunfire. He was rushed immediately to the Baruipur Subdivisional Hospital, where attending medical staff declared him dead on arrival.

The Crime That Triggered Public Fury

The encounter comes on the heels of intense public anger in the region. The victim, a 12-year-old local girl, went missing on Saturday. Her body was subsequently fished out from a village pond, stuffed inside a gunny sack.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed harrowing details of severe physical torture and sexual assault, confirming that the minor was thrown into the water while still alive. The sheer brutality of the crime triggered violent local protests, leading to blocks on the Baruipur-Joynagar Road, burning of tires, and the vandalism of police vehicles.

The case had already seen severe escalation when a local mob mistakenly lynched another resident, Indrajit Mondal, on suspicion of involvement. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari later confirmed that the lynched man was entirely innocent, promising strict action against the rioters and ordering the DGP to submit a comprehensive report within 72 hours.

'He Got What He Deserved': Mother Refuses Body

In a striking development that underscored the community's absolute disgust with the crime, the mother of the deceased accused, Sandhya Mondal, explicitly refused to claim her son's body.

Speaking directly to media personnel outside her residence, she expressed no grief over the encounter. "I don’t have any disappointment over what happened today. He didn't understand the pain of a young girl. He got the punishment for what he did, and it is absolutely right," she stated flatly, refusing to even look at his face.

A Growing Political Confrontation

Beyond the local impact, the incident marks a major milestone: it is the first documented police encounter in West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in the state in May 2026.

The shootout has triggered a sharp war of words between the ruling dispensation and the opposition. While state BJP leaders described the encounter as "divine justice" for a demonic act, opposition leaders have openly questioned the legality of the operation. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra fiercely criticized the police actions on social media platforms, alleging that the administration is turning West Bengal into "Uttar Pradesh 2.0" and running on "jungle law".

The police have confirmed that the other three arrested individuals associated with the Baruipur rape-murder case remain in strict custody as the broader investigation into the conspiracy continues.