Baruipur child’s rape and death sparks protests, police say suspect killed in encounter

The body of an 11-year-old girl was recovered from a pond in Surjyapur village, Baruipur on Sunday after her family reported her missing on Saturday evening, police said; authorities opened an investigation under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and formed a special investigation team (SIT).

Family members told police they last saw the child on Saturday afternoon when she went to buy a birthday gift. When she did not return, they went to the local police station at about 20:30 but allege their concerns were deferred until the next day.

Villagers reviewing nearby shop CCTV traced the girl walking with a local man, identified as Prabhash Mondal. A crowd later brought Mondal to the police, and hours after the body was recovered from the pond, police said Mondal led them to the location.

The post-mortem report lists drowning as the cause of death, prompting relatives to say the child may have been alive when she was dumped in the pond and that earlier police action might have saved her.

Following the body’s recovery, violent protests erupted in Baruipur with vandalism to roads, shops and a local railway station; a man was beaten to death by the mob and multiple police officers were injured during crowd control efforts.

Police have registered three cases and detained around 40 people in connection with the unrest, and authorities imposed a ban on public gatherings while deploying heavy police and paramilitary forces to restore order.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the victim’s family, pledged that the government would pursue justice and said the police were taking necessary steps. The government announced an SIT to probe the incident further.

Early the following day, police reported Mondal was killed in an encounter during an attempt to recreate the crime scene; officers claim he tried to snatch a weapon and opened fire, and was shot in return before being declared dead in hospital.

Opposition figures and rights activists criticized the killing as suspicious and inconsistent with rule-of-law standards, citing a pattern they say recurs in similar police encounters. Mondal’s mother reportedly refused to accept his body, saying he deserved punishment.

The case has taken on a political tone, with opposition parties blaming the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party government for failing to protect women, and the BJP denying the allegations. Local tensions were aggravated after a BJP leader’s home was attacked amid accusations he aided suspects, which he denied.

Authorities continue the investigation under POCSO and other relevant sections, and have not yet held a public press briefing addressing questions about the initial police response or the encounter that left Mondal dead.