Calcutta High Court Demands Accountability Following Baruipur Encounter Death

Judicial Scrutiny of Police Narrative

The Calcutta High Court has intervened in the controversial death of Prabhash Mondal, the lead suspect in the rape and killing of a 12-year-old girl in Baruipur. On Thursday, a Division Bench comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Partha Sarathi Chattopadhyay directed the Baruipur district police to submit a comprehensive report regarding the incident. The order stems from a public interest litigation filed by advocate Shiladitya Rakshit, which characterizes the police account of an "encounter" as a manufactured fiction.

Midnight Reconstruction and Fatal Gunfire

Events leading to the shooting began at approximately 12:45 a.m. on July 8. According to official police statements, a team from the Baruipur station escorted Mondal to the crime scene for a physical reconstruction of the events. Local authorities claim the suspect managed to seize a service weapon from an officer, discharged a single round at the escorting team, and attempted to escape. In response, Inspector Arghya Mondal fired two shots. Preliminary autopsy findings confirmed two bullets remained in the suspect's body, resulting in his death.

Questions Over Security and Procedures

Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, representing the petitioner, challenged the tactical decisions of the Baruipur police. He argued before the court that performing a field reconstruction in the middle of the night under poor weather conditions was highly irregular. Furthermore, he noted that the failure to establish a secure perimeter at the site led directly to the violent outcome. While Advocate General Rajdeep Majumder insisted the officers acted strictly in self-defense, the Criminal Investigation Department has launched a probe following a suo motu FIR.