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

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his government has given police considerable operational freedom in dealing with certain offences, including rape and murder, drug trafficking and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. File | Photo Credit: PTI

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

Talking to reporters in Digha in Purba Medinipur district, the Chief Minister said his government has given police considerable operational freedom in dealing with certain offences, including rape and murder, drug trafficking and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh.

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

The accused, Dilip Roy, allegedly opened fire at a police team conducting a raid to arrest him in a village in Raiganj, police said. An officer said police fired in retaliation, injuring the accused. He was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead.

"Do police shoot every accused? When someone attacks police, they retaliate in self-defence," 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 need not wait for permission from their superiors to act in such cases. There is absolutely zero tolerance towards these offences," Mr. Adhikari said.

Action for disrupting religious programmes

The Chief Minister also said he had instructed police to take stringent action against anyone throwing 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 Bengal's culture, religious practices and traditions during their rule.

The Raiganj incident is the fourth reported police encounter 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, South 24 Parganas district, was killed in a police encounter.

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

Published - November 09, 2026 01:20 pm IST