A minor girl's alleged gang-rape and murder case in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, took a dramatic turn after police shot dead the case's prime accused during an early morning encounter on Wednesday, 8 July 2026.In the early hours of July 8, police took Mondal to the crime scene in Suryapur for a reconstruction exercise around 12:45 AM.
According to police, Mondal snatched a service firearm from an escorting officer, fired a round at the team and attempted to flee. Officers returned fire, and Mondal was rushed to Baruipur Sub-divisional Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Legal procedures, including an inquest, have been initiated, and such encounters typically face further scrutiny including a magisterial inquiry.
Mondal's wife told reporters he had always been characterless, saying she had witnessed his true nature even after marrying him and that he had subjected her to considerable mistreatment. She said she had come to accept that he committed the crime, adding that once he was shot for his wrongdoing, there was nothing more to say. His mother, Sandhya Mondal, separately refused to claim or accept his body, telling authorities he had "received his punishment" for what he did and that she had no objection to however they handled his remains. Political reactions remain sharply divided, with the state government calling it justice and opposition leaders calling it "jungle law."
The victim, reported to be 11 or 12 years old, had gone missing from her home on July 4 while stepping out for an errand. Her body was recovered the next morning from a pond in the Suryapur area, roughly a kilometre from where she was last seen. Post-mortem findings confirmed sexual assault, signs of torture and a head injury, with investigators concluding she was drowned. Police invoked charges of rape, gang-rape, murder and evidence tampering under relevant BNS and POCSO provisions.
Following the recovery of the body, public anger in the area escalated sharply, with a mob reportedly lynching one suspect and damaging police vehicles. A Special Investigation Team detained several individuals, arresting Prabhas Mondal, identified as the main accused, along with Dibakar Sardar and Ananda Sardar. CCTV footage allegedly showed Mondal walking with the victim shortly before she disappeared. A fourth suspect remained at large as of July 7-8, with three others held for questioning.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier visited the victim's family, given police a 72-hour ultimatum over any investigative lapses, and pledged capital punishment where applicable. TMC leaders, including Mahua Moitra and Saugata Roy, criticised the encounter as a bypassing of due process.
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