Death of key accused leaves its own trail of questions
Times of India | 9 July 2026
Kolkata: Human rights activists as well as members of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ movement have questioned the circumstances leading to the police ‘encounter’ of one of the accused in the Baruipur minor rape and murder.
Association for Protection of Democratic Rights vice-president Ranjit Sur and Nagarik Mancha general secretary Naba Datta questioned the police’s intent behind reconstructing the crime at the dead of night in a place that was pitch dark.
“Police claimed that they took the accused, Prabhas Mondal, to the scene of the crime for reconstruction at 12.45 am. Crime scene reconstruction is the forensic process of determining the sequence of events that occurred during and after a crime and tying up loose ends to provide clear, objective visual evidence for judges and juries in a court of law. To do this, criminals are taken to the spot during the day. If they are taken at night, it is usually to a place that is well illuminated. In this instance, we have learnt that the place was absolutely dark. The area around the waterbody was slushy, covered with vegetation. What were the police trying to reconstruct in the darkness?” Datta questioned.
Pointing out that several people who were taken into police custody and then taken for reconstruction of the crime scene in broad daylight, including Sheikh Shah Jahan and Jahangir Khan, were either restrained with ropes around their waist or handcuffed, Sur questioned why cops had not handcuffed Mondal when he was taken out in the middle of night.
“We have been seeing videos of Mondal stuttering and speaking over the last couple of days. He does not seem the kind who is capable of snatching a revolver from a cop, much less firing at policemen. It appears premeditated. In any case, Mondal was in police custody, and hence, his safety was the responsibility of police. If they did have to shoot, they should have done so below the hip so that it was a nonfatal shot,” said Sur, who has also questioned how cops managed to aim and take a shot at him in the darkness.
The activists have cited the Supreme Court judgment in the Union of India versus People’s Union of Civil Liberties to demand that a murder charge be slapped against the policemen involved in the encounter and an investigation by a judicial commission led by a sitting high court judge.
A retired director general of police, who now lives outside Bengal, remarked it was odd that the accused was taken to a desolate place for reconstruction at the odd hour unless the crime itself took place around that time of the day and police wanted to know how the crime scene appeared at night. He also said normally the accused would have been restrained unless he was familiar to the police or had gained trust by cooperating.
‘Reclaim the Night’ movement that has its genesis in the public rage that followed the rape and murder of a postgraduate resident doctor expressed deep concern over the ‘extrajudicial killing’. Rimjhim Sinha, the first voice to give ‘Reclaim the Night’ call, said: “Mob justice or encounters cannot be a solution to rape culture. Improper action by the police can trigger mass unrest and that is heavily concerning. Any criminal case should go through the legal process established in our country rather than create an example of future vengeance.”
Reclaim the Night Women-Trans-Queer United official said the gender justice movement strongly opposes such reckless actions. “Killing a rapist does not end rape, gender-based violence, or violence against women. Moreover, this is an extrajudicial killing. What we demand is the impartial application of the law, a swift investigation, certainty of punishment for those found guilty, accountability for police negligence, and punishment for those who aided or protected the perpetrators,” a member of the movement said.