Suspect in Bengal minor’s gangrape, murder killed in police encounter

A man suspected of brutally raping and murdering a minor girl in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district was killed in a police encounter on Monday morning, according to officers. The deceased has been identified as Dilip Roy, who was sought by authorities for the gangrape and murder of a teenage girl whose body was discovered in Kulik forest on November 5.

The victim had left home on November 3 with her bicycle, heading to a tutorial class, but went missing after that. Post-mortem examination of the victim's body revealed she had been gangraped. Police were actively pursuing Roy as part of a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This marks the fourth death of a suspected rapist in a police encounter within five months since the formation of Bengal's first Bharatiya Janata Party government since Independence.

The first such death occurred in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district on July 7, followed by incidents in Gaighata in North 24 Parganas district on October 27 and Dhulian in Murshidabad district. However, in the other three cases, the suspects were killed while attempting to escape from police custody, unlike the situation on Monday.

Roy was reportedly attempting to flee Bengal and enter Bihar through a forest area when he opened fire on the police around 3.30am on Monday. He was subsequently hit by police fire and declared dead upon arrival at Raiganj hospital. A pistol was recovered from the scene. The victim's father expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that it was a reminder to sexual offenders that the police will deal sternly with such cases.

State tourism minister Shankar Ghosh emphasized that the incident serves as a warning to criminals who violate women's honor, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has issued clear instructions for the police to take strong action.