Raiganj, Nov. 9 -- In the fourth reported police encounter death since the change of power in Bengal, a 46-year-old man, identified as Dilip Roy, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl at Abdulghata in Raiganj, was killed in an alleged exchange of fire with police near the Bengal-Bihar border early on Monday.
Defending the encounter CM Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said that police personnel are entitled to retaliate in self-defence.
He said police retaliate in self-defence when attacked and have been given a free hand to act without waiting for permission from superiors in cases involving rape, murder, drug trafficking and infiltration.
The Class V dropout had gone missing on November 3 after leaving home on a bicycle. Her naked and partly decomposed body was recovered from a forest beside the Kulik River at Abdulghata village on November 5. Her parents subsequently lodged a complaint alleging gang rape and murder. Police conducted a post-mortem examination and launched an investigation.
Acting on a tip-off that Roy was hiding under Gouri Gram Panchayat, police reached Parer Pukur village. According to a senior police officer, Roy opened fire when officers attempted to arrest him, prompting retaliation. He sustained critical bullet injuries and was declared dead at Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital. Police claimed he fired several rounds, damaging their vehicle, but no personnel were injured. A 9 mm pistol was recovered from the encounter site.
The victim's parents expressed satisfaction with the police action, thanking officers for delivering what they described as swift punishment. Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumder said the government had adopted a stern approach towards rape cases and would ensure the harshest punishment permitted by law. Raiganj Police District SP S Kuldeep Suresh was unavailable for comment.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.