Second police ‘encounter’ in 12 hours: Accused in BJP worker’s murder shot dead in West Bengal

Police said the accused “allegedly snatched the service weapon of an officer and tried to flee the spot”. Image for representation only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Hours after an accused in a rape and murder case was killed in a police encounter in North 24 Parganas on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), another 40-year-old man accused in the murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker in Murshidabad in August, was also shot dead by the police.Samaul Sheikh, who was a key accused in the murder of BJP worker Sujit Mondal on August 28, was shot dead in a gunfight with police in Murshidabad at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday (October 27, 2026). About 12 hours ago, Prahlad Das, accused of raping and murdering a minor girl in North 24 Parganas’ Gaighata, was shot dead in an encounter at around 3.30 a.m.According to the police, the accused, Samaul Sheikh, was taken to a place in Dhulian under Murshidabad’s Samserganj police station to reconstruct the crime. “Prima facie, a group of officials from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) brought him to the spot for investigation. However, he allegedly snatched the service weapon of an officer and tried to flee the spot. He died in a retaliatory firing during the incident,” said the police superintendent of Jagipur police district, Surinder Singh.The officer added that a local police team immediately reached the spot upon receiving the information. He was rushed to the Anupnagar Hospital, where he was declared dead. Later, the body was sent to the sub-divisional hospital for an autopsy. CID officials they did not comment on the encounter.On August 28, a bidi worker cum local BJP activist, Sujit Mondal (36), went missing, and a ransom call was made to his house. Parts of his dismembered body were later found. Three people, including Samaul Sheikh, Tazkira Bibi, and Johni Skheikh, have been arrested in connection with the incident, which police suspect involves dispute over financial dealings.Later, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari handed the case over to the CID and suspended ASI Sumanta Kumar Das, in-charge of Dhulian police outpost, and SI Saiful Alam, second officer of Samserganj police station. The inspector of the same police station, Subrata Ghosh, was placed under police lines, and an investigation was initiated against him by the DGP. Meanwhile, the Farakka SDPO, Sk Shamsuddin, was transferred, while Jangipur SP Mr. Singh was issued a show-cause notice along with a warning by the Home Department.The CM alleged non-cooperation by the local police when the family members of the victim, Sujit Mondal, approached the police and sought security protection.According to the police, a similar incident was also reported in Gaighata when the accused Prahlad Das took away an officer’s revolver, opened fire, and jumped into a pond to run away when the police had to shoot him. His death came two days after a 17-year-old victim’s body was found behind her neighbour’s house on Sunday (October 25, 2026), a day after she went missing from her home. Das was arrested the same day, and a court sent him to 10 days of police custody. A Special Investigation Team was formed to investigate the case.However, a formal inquiry has been initiated by the State police in both the cases. This is also the third such incident in the State in four months, since the BJP government came to power. On July 8, a similar encounter took place in the South 24 Parganas Baruipur area, when police took Prabhas Mondal, the prime accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl, to reconstruct the crime scene.The area had been tense since July 5, when the body of the 12-year-old girl was recovered from a pond after was allegedly raped and murdered. Published - October 28, 2026 12:09 pm IST