On 7th July (Tuesday), Prabhash Mondol, one of the accused in the gangrape and murder of an 11-year-old, was shot and killed in a confrontation with police that took place in Baruipur of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. He was brought to the crime scene last night to reconstruct the incident, but attempted to flee after snatching a cop’s service weapon and firing one bullet at the police. Mondal was hurt in retaliatory fire after which he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The victim’s body was recovered in a sack from a pond in the Surjyapur Haat area on 5th July, a day after she was reported missing, triggering massive protests demanding the arrest of the accused. The authorities later arrested three people in connection with the case. The others have been identified as Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar. The minor was believed to be taken to a shack by one of the three perpetrators, where the remaining two were already present.
A senior officer revealed, “The preliminary postmortem report revealed that the girl had severe injuries, confirming sexual assault. She was alive when she was dumped in the pond since the postmortem report confirmed antemortem drowning with water in her lungs.” The search is underway for the fourth culprit, and authorities are also looking into the child-trafficking angle.
The southern suburbs saw a surge of violent protests as furious mobs blocked Baruipur-Joynagar Road, set tyres on fire, vandalised police vehicles, railway tracks and other public property, resulting in the arrest of 20 individuals. According to reports, a man named Indrajit Mondal was beaten to death on suspicion of being linked to the rape and murder instance. However, he was found to be innocent.
CM Adhikar assures justice, vows strict action against the offenders
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said, “The youth who was killed in the mob lynching was innocent. This is what the police have told me. He will also get justice. I have met his family.” According to him, around 200 people have been identified regarding the unrest, and Adhikhari warned, “All those identified will be arrested. Not a single person will get respite.”
#WATCH | Baruipur, South 24 Parganas: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "It's not just the Baruipur incident; we're working from day one to ensure such incidents don't happen anywhere in the state. We've spoken with the CP and SP. The government and police are doing… pic.twitter.com/5uCFF5FPub
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2026
Adhikari declared that proof had been gathered against those responsible, including members of radical groups, opposition parties and “anti-national forces,” assuring that the guilty will face severe consequences and those involved in the mob lynching would be charged with murder. He added, “Their call recordings have been collected by the STF under the supervision of the DGP. The government will teach them proper lessons.”
He further said, “I have conducted a primary analysis and asked the DGP to submit a report within 72 hours. If there is even 1% negligence after the complaint was lodged, strict action will be taken.” The girl’s family had requested that a police outpost be established in Surjapur, which Adhikari would inaugurate on his subsequent trip to Baruipur. He also held a virtual meeting with senior police personnel in the state and updated MLAs and MPs from different parties in relation to the probe’s progress.
Four separate cases have been registered in relation to the case. “A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed. After the incident, I spoke to the father of the victim. Whatever the family has asked for, we will deliver. We will give justice to the family. We will go for capital punishment of the culprits,” Adhikari had mentioned earlier. He has also visited the family.
“However, there has been a mob lynching too. I am not giving a clean chit, but the lynching had a communal angle. Police vehicles were torched, and two Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel were injured. There was an attempt to block the railway lines. In these cases, too, we will take action. In the remaining three cases, action will also be taken. Those who were involved will have to pay for it,” he emphasised.
TMC’s political drama
TMC supremo and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with other leaders, including MPs Dola Sen, Pratima Mondal and Derek O’Brien, did a rally in Kalighat to protest against the rape and murder incident. The demonstration ended in front of Banerjee’s home after circling Kalighat Road amid heavy police presence to prevent any untoward incident. Leaders from the pro-Mamata faction of the party also met with the girl’s family.
However, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the police didn’t allow her to meet the family. She said, “I had planned to visit the victim’s family alone. However, all roads near my house have been blocked by police and central forces. They have not communicated any reason to us. I don’t know why they are not letting me go out. I don’t know why I am such a threat. We are the original TMC, but those aligned with the BJP are being allowed to hold political programmes.”
Our Chairperson, @MamataOfficial, wanted to visit Baruipur. Upon learning this, a massive deployment of police personnel and barricades was put in place outside her residence to prevent her from leaving.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 5, 2026
Despite these attempts to stop her, our demand remains unchanged:… pic.twitter.com/o6dayiSNOF
“They deployed such a large number of police in front of my residence. They placed me under house arrest, although they are not saying it directly,” Mamata insisted, while her supporters in the TMC also echoed the same.
Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar hit out at the opposition and stated, “The culprits have been arrested. If there are others involved, they too will be arrested. If convicted, they will receive the highest punishment. But it is unfortunate that the former CM (Mamata Banerjee), TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and the CPI(M) are trying to give the incident a communal colour. That is unacceptable.”
State Minister Agnimitra Paul also pointed out the track record of the Mamata Banerjee-headed TMC government, which regularly neglected the rape victims during their rule and instead attempted to manipulate and distort the cases.
“You want to go there to instigate the public against the government, and expect us to stand by and watch? We won’t allow it. Our Chief Minister is not an inactive one like yours. There is no room for compromise here. Now, with the BJP government led by Suvendu Adhikari in the picture, she wants to rush there immediately to instigate and incite the Muslim public, stoke fires, and disrupt law and order. Mamata Banerjee, you have persecuted the Muslim community. They are realising this now,” she conveyed.
Notably, the families of Indrajit Mondal and the deceased girl expressed satisfaction with the chief minister’s promises and dedication to deliver justice.
