Prahlad Das’s mother Rekha Das
On Wednesday, she cast doubts on the police version of the events that led to her son being shot dead while he was being escorted back to Gaighata police station, North 24 Parganas, from the crime scene. The victim, a Class 11 student, went missing on Saturday after she received a call and left a musical programme in her neighbourhood around 11.30pm on Saturday.
Kolkata: A day after the lone accused in the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in Gaighata was killed in a police “encounter” on Tuesday, his mother questioned the circumstances of his death and demanded compensation. “How could he have snatched a police officer’s revolver and opened fire when his hands were tied with a rope,” she said. “I know my son committed a grave crime and he can’t be forgiven,” Prahlad’s father Ramprasad said, before questioning the police action, “Instead of killing him so brutally, the officers could have ensured that he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
he asked the cops accompanying him to halt at a place called Baidyabati so he could relieve himself While being taken back to the police station. How could he have snatched a cop’s pistol and opened fire? I cannot accept this death. The next day, her naked and battered body was found behind the house of Prahlad, a distant relative, at Gaighata’s Shimulpur. Prahlad was arrested on charges of rape and murder.
Prahlad was taken to the crime scene and other spots late on Monday to reconstruct the events leading to the rape and murder, according to police. Questioning the police account, Rekha said, “My son’s hands were tied when five officers brought him home around 2am on Tuesday (as part of the crime-reconstruction process).
The Das family maintained that Prahlad should have been tried in court and punished in accordance with the law, if convicted. Ramprasad broke down while placing a garland on his son’s body after it was handed over to the family at Barasat Medical College and Hospital, where a post-mortem was conducted, on Tuesday night.