GUWAHATI: The wife of Prabhas Mondal, the main accused in the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in West Bengal’s Baruipur, has spoken out after his death in a police firing incident, saying she accepted that he was guilty of the crime.
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Mondal was killed early Wednesday, July 8, after police claimed he attempted to escape during a crime scene reconstruction exercise at Surjyapur. According to officials, he was taken to the location around 12:45 a.m. as part of the investigation when he allegedly overpowered a police personnel, snatched his firearm, fired at the team and tried to flee.
Police said they opened fire in self-defence, following which Mondal sustained gunshot injuries. He was taken to Baruipur Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Speaking after his death, Mondal’s wife said she accepted the police version of events and acknowledged his involvement in the crime. “I have accepted that he did it. He committed a wrong, he was guilty, and he was shot. I have nothing more to say,” she said.
His mother also reportedly refused to identify his body, saying he deserved the punishment for his actions.
Police had identified Mondal as one of the key accused in the case, claiming CCTV footage showed him with the victim shortly before the alleged incident. He was among the three accused arrested earlier, along with Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar.
Meanwhile, another suspect, Kabir Molla, was arrested from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district in a joint operation by the Special Task Force (STF), Baruipur Special Operations Group (SOG) and district police. Investigators said Molla had been absconding since the incident and was brought to Baruipur for questioning. His arrest took the total number of accused detained in the case to four.
The case came to light after the 11-year-old girl went missing on July 4. Her body was recovered the following day in a sack near Surjyapur Haat, triggering public anger and protests.
Residents staged demonstrations demanding swift action against those responsible. Protesters blocked the Baruipur–Joynagar Road, set tyres on fire and damaged police vehicles during the unrest.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing as police continue questioning the accused and gathering evidence.