India

Two Accused Killed in Separate Police Encounters in West Bengal

By HT Correspondent

Two men accused in separate criminal cases were shot dead by police in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad districts on Tuesday after they allegedly snatched firearms from on‑duty officers and opened fire while trying to escape. Prahlad Das, 23, arrested for the rape and murder of a minor girl in North 24 Parganas, was killed after he snatched a sub‑inspector’s service revolver and fired three rounds at police while returning from a crime‑scene reconstruction at Gaighata. Two policemen were injured; police fired four rounds in self‑defence and Das died at a hospital. Samiul Sheikh, 40, held for the murder of a BJP worker in Murshidabad, was shot dead after he allegedly snatched a firearm from a police officer and attempted to flee near Dhuliyan market. He was injured by police fire, taken to a hospital, and died. Sheikh’s case is linked to the disappearance of BJP worker Sujit Mondal on August 28; three people were arrested, and a human limb recovered on September 3 was later identified as Mondal’s remains. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has transferred the investigation to the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department. A similar encounter occurred in July when an accused in the rape and murder of an 11‑year‑old girl in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, was shot dead after snatching an officer’s firearm and firing at police during a crime‑scene visit.