A man accused of shooting a police constable during an arrest attempt in West Bengal's Birbhum district was killed in a gunfight with police on Sunday, marking the fifth police encounter in the state in six months since the BJP came to power.The accused, Ratan Sheikh, a history-sheeter wanted in multiple criminal cases, was arrested from the Nawabhat area of adjoining Purba Bardhaman district on Sunday afternoon. He was subsequently taken to a brick kiln in Charakol village in Birbhum's Nanoor to recover the firearm used in the shooting, a senior police officer said.According to the officer, Sheikh had agreed to lead the police team to the place where he had hidden the weapon after confessing to the November 13 shooting.
However, during the recovery operation, he suddenly retrieved the firearm and opened fire at the police personnel. A bullet hit a police vehicle.The police team retaliated, injuring Sheikh in the exchange of fire.
He was rushed to Nanoor Primary Healthcare Centre, where doctors declared him dead at around 5.45 pm. His body was subsequently taken to Bolpur Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Sheikh had been on the run since shooting constable Bishwajit Das during an attempt to arrest him at Laik Bazar in the Santiniketan police station area on Friday evening, November 13.Police had received information about Sheikh's presence near a market in Santiniketan. Three plainclothes personnel from the Santiniketan police outpost reached the spot on a motorcycle to apprehend him.
As they approached, Sheikh opened fire, hitting Das in his left leg, before escaping amid the ensuing panic. Das was initially admitted to Bolpur Sub-divisional Hospital before being shifted to Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital.
He was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Kolkata on Sunday. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had visited the injured constable in Bardhaman on Saturday.Following the shooting, police launched a massive manhunt to track down Sheikh, who frequently changed hideouts to evade arrest.WHO WAS RATAN SHEIKH?Sheikh hailed from Santra village under Nanoor police station and was a history-sheeter with a criminal record spanning several police stations in Birbhum.According to police sources, he was wanted in more than 12 cases registered at Nanoor, Bolpur and Santiniketan police stations, including cases related to theft, robbery and narcotics trafficking.However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described Sheikh as a notorious criminal against whom 36 criminal cases had been registered.Reacting to the encounter, Adhikari defended the police action and said law enforcement personnel had been given complete freedom to respond when attacked."If someone fires at the police, should the police offer them batasha?
The police have been given complete freedom to respond. If someone attacks or assaults a policeman, they must react," he said.Batasha is a traditional sugar candy popular in West Bengal.The chief minister also issued a stern warning to those involved in criminal activities, saying there was no place for rapists, goons and murderers in the state."There is no place for rapists, goons and murderers in West Bengal.
They should go to Bangladesh, where there is Jamaat," he said.Referring to the shooting of constable Das, Adhikari reiterated that the police must respond when their colleagues come under attack."If someone fires at the police, they must respond," he said, adding that he would take whatever steps were necessary to deal with criminals.Earlier, after the attack on Das, the chief minister had praised the constable's courage and said the sacrifices made by police personnel would not go in vain. He had also assured that those responsible would face appropriate punishment.- EndsWith PTI inputs