Kolkata, Oct 27 — Hours after the encounter killing of Prahlad Das, an accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl at Gaighata in North 24 Parganas district, another accused was killed in a police encounter in West Bengal on Tuesday, this time in Murshidabad's Samserganj area, officials said.
The deceased has been identified as Samiul Sheikh, one of the accused in the murder of local BJP leader Sujit Mondal. Sheikh was in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal police.
According to police, Sheikh was taken by the CID to the crime scene on Tuesday afternoon as part of the investigation and for the reconstruction of events related to the murder case. The accused reportedly snatched the firearm from an escorting CID officer and fired at the police personnel, officials said.
The CID officers retaliated, leaving Sheikh critically injured. He was rushed to Jangipur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
“The state CID was investigating the murder of Sujit Mondal. On Tuesday, the accused Samiul Sheikh was taken to the spot to reconstruct the crime scene. At that time, a gun battle took place. After that, the accused was taken to the hospital, where the doctors declared him dead,” said an officer from Jangipur Police District in Murshidabad.
Sujit Mondal, a local BJP leader and a resident of the Old Dakbanglo area of Samserganj, mysteriously disappeared on August 28 this year. His dismembered body was later recovered. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had then said that Mondal was killed with a meat-cutting knife.
The police later arrested the three accused, namely Samiul Sheikh, Tajkira Bibi and Johnny Sheikh.
The murder case also sparked allegations of police negligence. Mondal's wife, Sumana Mondal, alleged that despite repeatedly approaching the local police station after her husband's disappearance, she received no assistance.
The incident led to disciplinary action against several police officials, including suspensions, transfers and departmental inquiries.
The Chief Minister then termed it a 'major blunder'.
With Sheikh's death on Tuesday, West Bengal witnessed two separate police encounter killings involving accused persons on the same day on Tuesday.