Accused in Baruipur minor girl’s rape and murder killed in Bengal police ‘encounter’

5 min readKolkataUpdated: Jul 9, 2026 05:15 AM IST

The spot where the accused was killed in a ‘police encounter’ in West Bengal’s Baruipur Tuesday night. (Express photo)

Prabhash Mondol, the main accused in the gangrape and murder of an 11-year-old in West Bengal’s Baruipur, was shot dead in an encounter late Tuesday night.

According to the police, Mondol had been taken to the crime scene to reconstruct the crime as part of the investigation. Police alleged that he snatched a policeman’s firearm, fired once at the police party, and tried to escape. Police claimed they opened fire in retaliation, injuring Mondol. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

The encounter spot is barely 100 metres from where the girl’s body was found inside a pond. According to officials, Mondol was taken there around 12.45 am. They said it had rained and the area was dark, and Mondol allegedly snatched the service weapon of an officer identified as Rony Sarkar.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, his mother, Sandhya, said she had told the police that she did not want to see his body. “I grieve as a mother, but I am at peace that he got the punishment for his crime,” she said. “I don’t want to see him. No one will go. He did not listen to us,” she said, calling him an “addict”. Later in the day, however, she and Mondol’s wife went to the hospital where his body was kept.

Located about 30 km from Kolkata, Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district has been on edge after the body of a minor girl was found dumped in a pond on Sunday. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault, and police registered a case under charges of murder and gangrape and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Four people have been arrested, and a six-member Special Investigation Team is probing the incident.

Mondol, Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar were among the first to be arrested. Another accused, Kabir Mollah, was arrested in Basirhat, North 24 Parganas, on Tuesday night.

In the days following the incident, a man suspected of being involved in the crime was lynched in Baruipur. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the man was innocent.

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According to police sources, CCTV footage from near the crime scene had led to the breakthrough. The footage showed the girl shortly before she went missing on Saturday. It also showed Mondol accompanying her.

On Monday, Chief Minister Adhikari visited Baruipur and met the girl’s family. He said the 200-odd people accused of damaging public property during a protest against the rape-murder had been identified, and action would be taken against them. “Those who have instigated from behind, including those rejected by the people in the recent (assembly) elections, and also some radical and anti-national forces, have been identified. The government will teach them a proper lesson,” Adhikari said.

Police have so far arrested 20 people in connection with the violence during the protests. An FIR has been filed against CPM’s central committee member Sujan Chakraborty and the party’s youth leader Layek Ali.

He also responded to allegations that the police delayed the search for the girl. “We filed a missing person complaint at the Baruipur police station around 9 pm on Saturday. Had the police started a search operation then and gone through the CCTV footage, my daughter could have been found alive,” the minor’s mother had told The Indian Express earlier. The Chief Minister said he has asked the state’s police chief to submit a report within 72 hours. “If there is any negligence regarding the time taken after the complaint was lodged, action will be taken,” he told reporters.

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Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, meanwhile, criticised Bengal police over Mondol’s encounter. “What is going on West Bengal Police? Bengalis, please welcome new Bengal – Uttar Pradesh 2.0. BJP Bengal is no government. This is jungle law,” she posted on X.

Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the party had made a promise to the women of Bengal ahead of the polls – “bhoi (fear) out, bhorsha (faith) in”. “This was the Prime Minister’s message. We are doing what we said in our manifesto. Suvendu Adhikari is the Chief Minister, and the state government has taken the steps it should have. No criminal or rapist will be spared,” he said.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas.

Experience & Authority

Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata.

Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects.

Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010.

Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting.

Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University.

Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.

Experience

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.

Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.

Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.

Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.

Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.

Education

Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.

Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.

Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.

Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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