States » EastPosted at: Oct 28 2026 8:23PM


Gaighata encounter: Accused’s mother questions police version, seeks compensation

Kolkata, Oct 28 (UNI) The mother of Prahlad Das, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Gaighata located in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas, has questioned the police account of his death in an encounter and demanded compensation, even as forensic experts visited the spot to collect evidence on Wednesday.
Rekha Das questioned how her son could have snatched a police firearm and opened fire when, according to her, his hands were tied while he was taken home late on Monday night for a reconstruction of the crime.
“He was brought home around 2 am with his hands tied. Five police officers were accompanying him. How could he take out a pistol and fire? Please think about it,” she said.
While expressing grief over her son’s death, Rekha said the family had wanted him to face punishment through due legal process if he was guilty. “The girl was killed, and my son has also been killed. We want compensation,” she said, adding that she had repeatedly approached the police after the incident.
Her remarks came a day after Prahlad’s father, Ramprasad Das, broke down while receiving his son’s body following a post-mortem examination at Barasat Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday night. He acknowledged the gravity of the alleged crime but questioned the manner of his son’s death, saying the police could have secured a life sentence through the judicial process.
Hospital sources said the post-mortem examination revealed three bullet injuries on Prahlad’s body — two on his chest and one on his left thigh. He was taken to Chandpara Rural Hospital in critical condition and declared dead.
A team from the state forensic laboratory visited the encounter site at Shimulpur in Gaighata on Wednesday morning to collect blood samples and other scientific evidence from the police vehicle, the edge of a pond and the surrounding area.
According to police, the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday while officers were returning after reconstructing the crime. Near Baidyabati, Prahlad allegedly asked them to stop the vehicle, ostensibly to relieve himself, before snatching a policeman’s firearm and firing three rounds. One bullet reportedly hit the police vehicle, while a policeman was injured. Another officer allegedly jumped into a roadside waterbody to escape. Police then fired four rounds in self-defence, one of which hit Prahlad.
The case dates back to Saturday night, when the girl left a local cultural programme after receiving a phone call. Her mutilated body was recovered on Sunday morning. Police arrested Prahlad, a relative of the victim’s family, later that day.
The victim’s father said the encounter would not bring his daughter back. Prahlad’s brother, meanwhile, said the family had never imagined he could commit such a crime. His mother also questioned whether the two had been in a relationship.
The encounter has triggered a political debate, particularly after a second police shooting in Murshidabad within 24 hours. While BJP leaders welcomed the action, the CPI(M) and other opposition parties questioned the police’s conduct and the circumvention of judicial proceedings. UNI RC NST CDS
Tags: #Gaighata encounter: Accused’s mother questions police version# seeks compensation
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