The West Bengal Police conducted extensive overnight raids Wednesday, arresting 12 more people in connection with the violent unrest, arson, and mob lynching that erupted in Baruipur following the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl. With these fresh actions, the number of arrests related to the rioting has risen to 30.
The state government has also handed over the investigation into Tuesday night’s fatal police encounter of one of the accused, Prabhas Mandal, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A judicial inquiry into the incident has already begun. According to police sources, the CID probe will run parallel to the judicial proceedings.
Because the encounter occurred within the Baruipur police district, procedural rules state that local district police cannot investigate the shooting. The CID took over the case to ensure an impartial investigation.
According to police sources, investigating officers arrived at the crime scene with Prabhas Mandal at approximately 12.45 am to reconstruct the incident.
The police claimed that while standing close to Ronnie Sarkar, the Circle Officer in charge of Canning police station, Mandal allegedly attempted to snatch the officer’s service revolver from his waist to flee. When officers chased him, Mandal allegedly fired one round at them.
To protect his team, Arghya Mandal, the officer in charge of Baruipur police station, fired back with his service weapon, the police said, adding that the shooting was strictly in self-defence. Sources said that Prabhas Mandal was struck by two bullets, one in the right side of his chest and another just above the waist.
A political controversy has already begun over the police encounter. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has compared the incident with various past encounters in Uttar Pradesh. In an attempt to taunt the ruling side after the Baruipur encounter, they are also using phrases such as ‘Uttar Pradesh 2.0’.
The rebel TMC faction praised the government’s swift action. Leaders from both the Congress and the CPI(M) sharply condemned the encounter, questioning the legality of the police’s actions.
Tensions have gripped Baruipur since Sunday when the minor girl’s body was recovered. In the ensuing chaos, an angry mob beat a man, Indrajit Mondol, to death based purely on suspicion of involvement. The area also witnessed railway blockades, road blockades, widespread arson, and targeted attacks on police personnel. Police sources noted that the accused were identified using social media footage of the riots.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari spoke with the victim’s father over the phone Sunday, assuring him that justice would be served and that the perpetrators of the assault would face the maximum legal punishment.
However, he issued a stern warning against those exploiting the crime to stir violence, stating that no one involved in the subsequent rioting would be spared. He also suggested a “communal link” may have fueled the mob lynching and accused Opposition leaders of instigating the violence.