Shantiniketan constable shooting: Accused Ratan Sheikh shot dead by police

Police have shot dead a man identified as the prime accused in the shooting of a police constable in West Bengal's Birbhum district, marking the state's fifth reported encounter incident, according to media reports.

The deceased was identified as Ratan Sheikh, who was reportedly arrested from Nawabhat in neighbouring Purba Bardhaman district earlier in the day.

Police told The Telegraph that Sheikh was taken to a brick kiln in Charakol village to recover the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.

According to police, Sheikh retrieved the concealed weapon and opened fire at the police team. One of the bullets reportedly struck a police vehicle, following which the personnel returned fire, injuring him.

He was subsequently taken to Nanoor Primary Healthcare Centre, where doctors declared him dead.

According to reports, Sheikh allegedly shot constable Biswajit Das in the leg on November 13 while the police were attempting to arrest him at Laik Bazar, under the Santiniketan police station area.

Sheikh was an absconding history-sheeter, police said.

A senior police officer told The Indian Express: “Several teams were formed. The accused, Sheikh, was captured today (Sunday morning). He was being taken to a brick kiln in Nanur in Birbhum, where he said he had kept the weapon with which he fired at the constable on Friday. In Nanur, he got the handgun and fired at the police. In self-defence, policemen resorted to retaliatory firing in which the accused was shot. He was taken to Nanur hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival."

This was the fifth encounter recorded in West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.