The accused, Prahlad Das, allegedly seized the service revolver between 3 am and 3.30 am in Bongaon, fired at police personnel and jumped into a pond in an attempt to escape, according to police sources. Police opened fire in self-defence. Das was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
His death comes two days after the teenager’s body was recovered from behind a house in Gaighata, near the Indo-Bangladesh border, on Sunday morning.
The girl had allegedly gone missing on Saturday night after attending a musical programme near a local market. According to police, she lived with her maternal grandparents and had left the programme after receiving a phone call. Her family members and neighbours searched for her throughout the night before local residents found her body in the backyard of a relative’s house.
Preliminary findings indicated that the teenager’s body bore multiple injuries, including marks on her head and face. A post-mortem examination was ordered as part of the investigation.
Police arrested Das, a resident of Shimulpur in Gaighata who was reportedly known to the victim, following a complaint lodged by the girl’s family. A court in Bongaon remanded him to 10 days of police custody on Sunday.
Bongaon Police District Superintendent of Police Bidisha Kalita Dasgupta said a special investigation team, led by the area’s additional superintendent of police, had been formed to investigate the case. Investigators were also examining whether other people were involved in the crime.
Preliminary questioning had suggested that Das allegedly harboured resentment towards the girl over remarks she had made about his mother, police said. However, the motive and the possible involvement of others remained under investigation.
The case has now taken another turn with the accused’s death during the police operation, while investigators had been probing the circumstances of the teenager’s death and whether anyone else was involved.
About The Author
Comment List