CM Suvendu defends Raiganj encounter, says police entitled to retaliate in self-defence

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his government had given the police considerable operational freedom to deal with certain crimes, including rape and murder, drug trafficking and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. File | Photo credit: PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday (Nov 9, 2026) defended the killing of a rape accused in a shootout with police in Uttar Dinajpur Raiganj district, pointing out that the force’s personnel were entitled to retaliate in self-defence.

Speaking to reporters at Digha in Purba Medinipur district, the chief minister said his government has given the police considerable operational freedom to deal with certain crimes, including rape and murder, drug trafficking and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.

His statement came hours after a man accused of raping and murdering his 13-year-old niece was killed in a shootout with police in Raiganj.

The accused Dilip Roy allegedly opened fire on a police team conducting a raid to arrest him in a village in Raiganj, police said. The officer said the police retaliated and injured the accused. He was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

“Do the police shoot every accused person? When someone attacks the police, they retaliate in self-defense,” he said.

“The government has given the police a free hand in certain cases, including rape and murder, drug trafficking and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. They have also been told that they do not need to wait for permission from their superiors to intervene in such cases. There is absolutely zero tolerance for these crimes,” Mr Adhikari said.

Action for disrupting religious programs

The Chief Minister also said that he has directed the police to take strict action against anyone who throws stones during religious programmes.

Claiming that no one had dared to disrupt religious processions, idol immersions or other religious events since the BJP came to power in West Bengal, he alleged that the previous Left Front and TMC had undermined Bengali culture, religious practices and traditions during their rule.

The Raiganj incident is the fourth reported police death in West Bengal since the BJP came to power in May. In July, Prabhas Mondal, accused of raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, was killed in an encounter with the police.

On October 27, two more accused were killed in separate police incidents – Prahlad Das, arrested in connection with the discovery of the body of a Class 11 student in North 24 Parganas district’s Gaighata, and Samaul Haque, accused of murdering a BJP worker in Murshidabad’s Samserganj.

Published – 9 Nov 2026 13:20 IST