West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday strongly defended the police encounter in which Prabhas Mondal, one of the prime accused in the alleged rape and murder of a minor in Baruipur, was killed. Rejecting allegations that the operation was staged, Bhattacharya said the state government remained committed to ensuring that "no criminal or rapist will be spared."
Prabhas Mondal was killed around 12:40am on Wednesday during a crime scene reconstruction exercise after he allegedly snatched the service weapon of an escorting police officer and attempted to escape, according to the police report.
Addressing a press conference, Bhattacharya urged people not to rush to conclusions before the investigation is completed and accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of spreading "misinformation" over the incident.
"No criminal or rapist will be spared. We have fulfilled our electoral promise of 'Fear Out, Trust In' (Bhoy Out, Bhorosa In)," Bhattacharya said.
The BJP leader also dismissed allegations by Opposition parties that the encounter was intended to shield the key accused or derail the investigation, asserting that such claims were politically motivated.
"The people of West Bengal have little faith in these allegations. The investigation should be allowed to take its course before anyone draws conclusions," he said.
Bhattacharya further renewed the BJP's demand for reopening the 2013 Kamduni gang rape and murder case. Alleging that the previous Trinamool Congress government had mishandled the investigation, he urged Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to order a fresh review of the case.
Responding to remarks by senior CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who alleged that the prime accused in the Baruipur case had been eliminated and evidence had been tampered with, the BJP state chief dismissed the criticism.
"With due respect to Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, I would only say that the less he speaks, the better it is for him and for his party," Bhattacharya said.
