Kolkata, 27 October (H.S.) : The prime accused in the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Gaighata, North 24 Parganas, was killed in a police encounter early Tuesday morning. The incident bears a striking resemblance to the police shootout in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, this past July. The sequence of events detailed by the police administration closely mirrors the previous case, specifically revolving around a late-night crime scene reconstruction.

According to preliminary information from police sources, the accused, identified as Prahlad Das, was taken to the crime scene—located approximately four kilometers from the Bangladesh border—during the early hours of Tuesday to reconstruct the sequence of events. Police claim that during this process, Das suddenly snatched a service revolver from an officer and opened fire. He allegedly discharged three rounds, injuring one police personnel. In self-defense, the police retaliated by firing four rounds. Das sustained severe gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Chandpara Rural Hospital, where attending doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Das was reportedly a relative of the victim's family. He had been arrested on Sunday following the grim discovery of the minor girl's naked and mutilated body behind a neighbor's house.

The 17-year-old victim had gone to watch a local musical event with her family and friends on Saturday night. According to her relatives, she received a phone call around 11:30 PM, after which she left the venue and subsequently went missing. Following an intensive overnight search, her body was recovered on Sunday morning.

The Gaighata encounter has immediately brought back memories of a similar incident in Baruipur three and a half months ago, where Prabhas Mandal, the prime accused in a minor's gang-rape and murder case, was also killed by police bullets. In that July incident, authorities made the exact same claim, stating that the accused had snatched a police firearm and attempted to flee during a late-night crime scene reconstruction, leading to his death in retaliatory firing.

The Baruipur shootout had sparked significant controversy, prompting the Calcutta High Court to take a strict stance. The court demanded a detailed report from the police and directed the preservation of all related CCTV footage, with the matter still remaining sub-judice. Meanwhile, the recurrence of such an incident in Gaighata has sharply escalated tensions in the area. Following the news of Das's death, his family members gathered at the hospital in large numbers, prompting the administration to deploy a heavy police contingent to maintain law and order and ensure peace on the hospital premises.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh