West Bengal Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, defended the encounter killing of Prahlad Das — the accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl at Gaighata in North 24 Parganas district — stating that police are sometimes compelled to carry out actions that may appear unpleasant but serve the larger public interest.

What the Minister Said

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh drew a parallel with an earlier encounter in South 24 Parganas district, framing both incidents as consequences of defying the law. "This has happened before in South 24 Parganas district. The killer was on the run. There was an encounter. Now it happened here too. Everyone should be brought to justice. No one is above the law. If someone disobeys the law, this is what will happen to them," the minister said.

Ghosh further argued that police credibility in the state had eroded and that restoring public trust may require difficult decisions. "The police have to give justice to the people. People have forgotten to trust them. To restore trust, the police will have to do some unpopular things," he said.

He also emphasised the need for deterrence: "No one gets scared so easily. Because the rule of law has not been in Bengal for many years. But if the rule of law is established, then everyone will be afraid and will be alert."

How the Encounter Unfolded

According to sources aware of the development, Prahlad Das was arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a minor girl at Gaighata the previous week. In the early hours of Tuesday, he was taken to the crime scene for reconstruction of events — a standard investigative procedure.

During the exercise, Das allegedly snatched the firearm of an escorting officer and opened fire at the police personnel. The escorting officers responded with counter-fire, leaving Das critically injured. He was subsequently rushed to a nearby state-run hospital, where he was declared dead.

The West Bengal Police had not issued an official statement on the incident as of Tuesday, though sources confirmed the broad sequence of events.

Wider Context and Legal Questions

Encounter killings in police custody remain a legally and ethically contentious area in India. Under Supreme Court guidelines established in the PUCL vs State of Maharashtra judgment, all cases of death in police encounters must be investigated by an independent agency — typically the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) — and a First Information Report must be registered. It is not yet confirmed whether such a procedure has been initiated in the Gaighata case.

This comes amid sustained scrutiny of law enforcement conduct across West Bengal, particularly following high-profile crimes in the state over the past year. Critics have previously argued that encounters, regardless of the gravity of the alleged crime, risk bypassing the due process guarantees enshrined in the Constitution.

What Happens Next

An independent probe into the encounter is likely to be mandated under existing Supreme Court directives. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has in the past taken suo motu cognisance of encounter deaths in similar circumstances. How the West Bengal government and police formally respond will be closely watched by rights bodies and opposition parties alike.