One of the main accused in the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal's Baruipur was killed in a police encounter after he allegedly attempted to escape by snatching a police officer's firearm, officials said. The deceased, identified as Prabhas Mondal, was among the key accused in the brutal crime that had triggered widespread outrage

According to police, he was taken to the crime scene shortly after midnight as part of the investigation to recreate the sequence of events when the incident leading to the encounter unfolded.

According to the police, Mondal was brought to the crime scene at around 12.45 am to help investigators reconstruct the crime. During the process, he allegedly snatched a firearm from a police personnel and attempted to flee. Police said they opened fire after he tried to escape. Mondal sustained injuries in the firing and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Authorities have maintained that the firing took place while trying to prevent the accused from escaping custody.