Investigators will visit the spot in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, where the policemen fired at Prabhas Mondal, and collect evidence from there.
The firearms used by police officers during the encounter killing of one of the prime accused in the Baruipur rape-murder case on Wednesday will be sent for forensic tests, and their versions will be recorded and cross-checked, an officer said.
Key Points
- Investigators will visit the spot in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, where the policemen fired at Prabhas Mondal, and collect evidence from there.
- The police said personnel opened retaliatory fire in self-defence after the accused fired at them, killing him.
- The post-mortem examination report of the accused will also be taken into account to understand what the situation was when the police officers fired, he said.
Investigators will visit the spot in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, where the policemen fired at Prabhas Mondal, and collect evidence from there, the officer said, adding that the distance between the accused and the officer who shot at the accused will also be ascertained.
Mondal, one of the accused in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl, died after allegedly trying to escape from the police custody by snatching a firearm during a crime scene reconstruction exercise at Surjyapur area in Baruipur in the early hours of Wednesday.
The police said personnel opened retaliatory fire in self-defence after the accused fired at them, killing him.
"Investigators will visit the spot where the police officers had to fire at the accused person and collect evidence. The firearms used by police officers will be sent for forensic tests. The statements of the police personnel present there will be recorded and cross-verified," the officer said.
The post-mortem examination report of the accused will also be taken into account to understand what the situation was when the police officers fired, he said.
According to the police, Mondal was taken to Surjyapur area of Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district around 12.45 am for reconstruction of the crime scene as part of the investigation.
During the exercise, he suddenly snatched a service firearm from a policeman, fired one round at the security personnel and attempted to escape.
Police sources said that an officer of Canning police station was leading the reconstruction when Mondal suddenly snatched his service revolver and fired a round before trying to flee.
A member of the SIT formed to probe into the rape-murder case then fired at him. Mondal suffered bullet injuries and was taken to Baruipur Sub-Divisional Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
"The entire episode happened very quickly. The accused had managed to grab the officer's service revolver and fire a shot. Once an accused gets hold of a weapon, the risk multiplies instantly-not just for the policemen present but for anyone in the vicinity," a senior officer of the Baruipur Police District told PTI.
The officer who opened fire at the accused had to make a judgment in a matter of seconds, he said.
"His objective was to stop an armed accused from escaping and to ensure that no police personnel or civilians were harmed. Under those circumstances, there was simply no room for hesitation," the officer said.
The police followed the standard protocol following the incident, he said. The injured accused was taken to a hospital, and, as required in every police firing case, all legal formalities and an independent inquiry have been initiated, the senior officer said.
