Dilip Roy dies after police shooting in Raiganj

Dilip Roy, accused in the rape and murder of a girl in Raiganj, died after police shot him during an attempted arrest near the West Bengal-Bihar border early Monday, November 9. Police said Roy opened fire as officers approached and that they fired back. He was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead. The police account is the only account of how the shooting began in the reports; no independent reconstruction is provided.

Officers had been searching for Roy after the girl’s body was found near the Kulik River, in the Kulik forest area, on November 5 or 6. The girl had gone missing on November 3 after leaving home on a bicycle, according to her family. Her family filed a complaint alleging rape and murder and named Roy as an accused. The allegations are not a finding of guilt. Reports differed on whether the girl was 12 or 13.

Police said they located Roy after receiving information about his whereabouts and moved to arrest him in the Gauri Gram Panchayat area. They said he was trying to cross into Bihar. One senior police officer said Roy’s alleged gunfire struck a police vehicle tyre; that detail was not reported elsewhere. Police said Roy was...