Police Kill Bengal Rape-Murder Suspect During Crime Reconstruction

A police team taking 23-year-old Prahlad Das to a crime scene in Gaighata says he grabbed an officer’s revolver and opened fire. Officers shot back, and Das died at a nearby hospital. The encounter happened during a re-creation of events in the rape and murder case of a 17-year-old student. Police have said they will investigate the circumstances of the shooting. ¹³

The re-creation came after Das’s arrest over the girl’s death. She had attended a musical programme near her home on Saturday night, then left after receiving a phone call and did not return. Her body was found on Sunday morning near a neighbour’s house. Police said Das was taken to the site on Monday night, where he allegedly seized the revolver and fired. His body was sent for an examination after death. ^3,13

The examination and inquiry matter because the police account has not answered how a person in custody got hold of an officer’s gun. A senior officer said investigators are likely to examine both the gun grab and the order of events leading to the shots. Das’s family protested at the hospital, and police sent more officers to prevent unrest. Ministers praised the action, while TMC MP Saugata Roy called for a court inquiry. ^1,2

The inquiry will also be seen in light of a similar July killing in Baruipur. There, police said a rape-murder suspect grabbed an officer’s revolver during a crime scene re-creation and was shot dead. Police reports say this is the second such case in three months. Das’s alleged role in the girl’s death remains an allegation; the next steps are the examination after death and a review of the encounter’s circumstances. ^2,13