Main Accused in Baruipur Rape and Murder Case Killed in Police Encounter

Prabhas Mondal, the main accused in the Baruipur rape and murder case in West Bengal, has been killed in a police encounter.

KOLKATA: Prabash Mondal, the main accused in the Baruipur rape and murder case in West Bengal, has been killed in a police encounter, officials said on Wednesday. Baruipur superintendent of police said the incident took place while officers were reconstructing the crime scene as part of the investigation. According to the police, Mondal allegedly attempted to snatch a firearm from an officer and opened fire at the police team. "While the crime scene was being reconstructed, he attempted to snatch a weapon from the police and open fire at them. In retaliation, the police fired back, striking Prabhas; he was declared dead at the hospital," the Baruipur SP said.

Tortured and thrown into the water A 12-year-old girl whose body was found in a pond in West Bengal's Baruipur was sexually assaulted, tortured and thrown into the water while she was still alive, according to a post-mortem report cited by police. The report found injuries to the girl's genitals, including burn marks, and a blunt-force injury to the back of her head. It also found muddy water in her lungs, which investigators say suggests she was breathing when she was dumped into the pond. Doctors concluded that excessive blood loss and drowning were the likely causes of death. Police believe the girl was killed on Saturday night. The findings have led investigators to add charges of gang rape, murder, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and offences under the POCSO Act against three arrested suspects. A fourth suspect was beaten to death by a mob on Sunday. Police say CCTV footage shows one of the accused walking with the girl on Saturday afternoon. Investigators are examining the movements of all the suspects and say they are verifying conflicting accounts of what happened before her death.