West Bengal Chief Minister Issues Warning to Criminals After Fifth Police Encounter

Kolkata, November 15 (Daily Kiran) : Kolkata’s Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, issued a stern warning to criminals following the fifth police encounter in recent months. Speaking on Sunday, he emphasized that law enforcement agencies will not remain passive in the face of attacks.

Adhikari reiterated his administration’s firm stance against violent crime, declaring that there is no place for rapists and murderers in West Bengal. “If you shoot at the police, they will respond as they see fit. Go to Bangladesh if you’re a thug. If you stay here, I will do as I please,” he stated. He also granted police full discretion to make decisions in encounter situations.

These remarks followed the death of accused criminal Ratan Sheikh during a police encounter in the Birbhum district. Sheikh had been hiding in a brick kiln in Charcoal village, Nandigram. According to police sources, he opened fire on advancing officers, prompting them to return fire in self-defense. Sheikh was injured and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

This incident is linked to a police operation on November 13 in the Lake Bazaar area under the Bolpur Shantiniketan police station, where officers attempted to apprehend Sheikh. During that operation, Sheikh shot at the police and managed to escape, severely injuring police constable Biswajit Das, who is currently receiving treatment in a Kolkata hospital.

Records indicate that Sheikh, a resident of Santa village, was a notorious criminal with 35 registered cases against him, ranging from illegal possession of firearms to drug trafficking. He had previously been arrested but was released on bail, leading to this latest attempt by law enforcement to capture him.

Since July, this marks the fifth police encounter resulting in death in West Bengal, as the administration has vowed to take strict action against criminals.