Kolkata: A mother’s anguished cries echoed along the corridors of Chandpara Rural Hospital as Prahlad Das’s body was wheeled away for postmortem. The 23-year-old, prime accused in the alleged rape and murder of a Class 11 student in North 24 Parganas’ Gaighatra, was gunned down in a police encounter early on Tuesday.“Didn’t you think of me even once? What have you done?” cried Rekha Das over her son’s body. Minutes earlier, she had put up a strong face, saying, “I am in pain as a mother, but I am happy as a citizen.” Prahlad’s family members said they met him at 2 am, and hours later, were told that he was dead.Struggling with grief, Rekha collapsed on a hospital bed. “I handed my son over to the police myself. I wanted him to receive severe punishment, but I never thought it would end like this,” she said. “How could he escape when so many policemen were guarding him? Was he really trying to flee?” Rekha asked.The bereaved mother regained her composure to say, “My son committed a crime and has paid the price. I hope no one dares to commit such an act again.”According to sources, Prahlad’s family runs two barber shops at Baikunthapur market.Prahlad’s father Ramprasad, who looked on as his son’s body was being loaded on to a vehicle, said, “What has happened is right.”Prahlad’s younger brother Dhruva, however, said he was unable to believe that he could have committed the rape-murder or snatched a firearm from cops in a bid to escape. The families of the victim and the accused, Dhruva said, were distant relatives. The girl occasionally visited his brother’s shop, and the two allegedly quarrelled often, he said.The victim’s family, meanwhile, welcomed police action.“If someone tries to escape from custody, police will obviously shoot. But will I ever get my daughter back?” the victim’s father asked.
