‘Will not go to see son’s body’: Mother of Baruipur rape-murder accused supports punishment

In a striking development following the fatal police encounter of a prime suspect in the Baruipur minor rape and murder case, the mother of the deceased accused stated on Wednesday that her son had received the ‘deserved punishment’ for his actions.

Sandhya Mondal, the mother of the deceased accused Pravas Mondal, told mediapersons that she has outright refused to see or claim her son's body. Local police personnel visited her residence on Wednesday morning to inform her of the encounter, but when asked if she wished to retrieve the body for final rites, she flatly declined.

'I will not go to see my son's body, nor will I go to receive his body,' Sandhya Mondal said. While she admitted that a mother's heart is bound to grieve the loss of a child, she expressed no complaints regarding the swift and fatal outcome.

'As a mother, I am pained by his death. But he got the right punishment for what he did,' she added.

According to law enforcement authorities, the encounter took place late Tuesday night when a police team escorted Pravas Mondal to the crime scene in the Suryapur area of Baruipur for a physical reconstruction of the offense. During the exercise, Mondal allegedly snatched a service rifle from an escorting police officer and attempted to flee the perimeter.

Police stated that Mondal opened fire while trying to escape, prompting the security personnel to retaliate in self-defense. Mondal sustained severe bullet injuries during the crossfire and was later declared dead upon arrival at a local hospital.

The underlying case involves the brutal rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, whose body was recovered from a local pond on Sunday morning, triggering massive public outrage and violent protests.

A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to fast-track the probe.

Following Mondal's initial arrest and subsequent interrogation, the SIT arrested two other accomplices, Dibakar Sarkar and Ananda Sardar. Police on Wednesday also tracked down and arrested a fourth absconding suspect, Kabir Molla.