Fourth police encounter in West Bengal leaves rape-murder suspect dead in Raiganj

UPDATE - follow-up to Rape-murder accused killed in police encounter; fourth case in West Bengal since BJP came to power: Police in West Bengal shot dead a prime suspect in the rape and murder of a minor girl in Raiganj as he attempted to cross the border into Bihar.

The Incident

The suspect, Dilip Roy, was tracked down to the Gauri village area in Uttar Dinajpur district during a police raid. Officers stated that Roy opened fire at the team and hit a police vehicle tyre before officers fired back in self-defence. He sustained injuries and was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The victim, a 12- or 13-year-old girl, had gone missing on November 3 after leaving her home on a bicycle, and her mutilated body was later found on Thursday near the Kulik river and the Kulik Wildlife Sanctuary.

Official Reactions

State panchayat minister Dilip Ghosh defended the police action by stating that authorities must act when accused individuals try to evade the law. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier warned criminals on November 3 that anyone harming women in the state would face severe consequences.

Context

This incident marks the fourth police encounter in West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power, following similar shooting incidents in Baruipur, Murshidabad, and Gaighata over recent months.