Prahlad Das, the accused in the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl at Gaighata in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, was killed in a police encounter on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, news agency IANS reported, citing sources aware of the development. The state police had not officially reacted to the encounter when the reports were published.

Source: IANS via Punjab Page

According to those sources, Das had been arrested in the case and was taken to the crime spot on the intervening night for reconstruction of the scene. Sources said he suddenly snatched the firearm of an escorting policeman and fired towards the police team. The escorting officers fired back, leaving him seriously injured; he was rushed to a nearby state-run hospital, where he was declared dead. The World Opinion, citing police sources, reported that a police officer was also injured during the operation.

Source: The World Opinion

Tension at hospital, heavy police deployment

Family members of the deceased accused reached the hospital on Tuesday morning after receiving news of his death, and a tense situation arose in the area, IANS reported. A large number of police personnel were deployed on the hospital premises to control the situation.

Source: IANS via Punjab Page

The case began on Monday morning, when the body of a 17-year-old girl, allegedly raped and murdered, was recovered near a house in the Gaighata area. On the basis of her family's allegation, Das was first detained for questioning and then arrested, IANS reported. The allegations against him were never tested in court. IANS noted that the Gaighata shooting was similar in sequence to a July encounter at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, where an accused in a similar case was killed after, according to police, he snatched an escorting officer's firearm during a scene reconstruction.

Source: IANS via Punjab Page