Kolkata, Nov 9 The mother of a man accused of raping and murdering his 12-year-old niece in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district on Monday refused to take his body home or even see his face after he was killed in a police encounter, saying his death had brought her relief after “years of neglect and abuse”.
Dilip Roy, the accused, was killed in an exchange of fire with police near the Bihar border in Raiganj early on Monday.
His mother, who came to see his body at the hospital, expressed no remorse over his death and instead endorsed the police action.
“What can I say? Whatever has happened is good. The police have given him the punishment he deserved. I feel a burden has been lifted off my chest,” she said.
She alleged that Roy had never fulfilled his responsibilities as a son and had subjected her to years of hardship, leaving her to fend for herself even in old age.
“He was not a good son. He never gave me even a handful of food, not a single rupee. It is good that this burden has been lifted. I have come to see the body. What else can I do? He was my only son,” she said.
The elderly woman categorically refused to take his body home or see his face, saying the family could make whatever arrangements it deemed appropriate.
“I will not see his face. I will not take him home either. You can do whatever you want,” she said.
She also accused the police of mistreating her family, alleging that she and other relatives had been taken to the police station and beaten up with lathis because of her son’s alleged involvement in the crime.
The woman spoke of the family’s difficult circumstances, saying there was hardly anyone at home to look after them. Her husband suffers from respiratory problems, while she herself has high blood pressure and an ailment affecting her hand.
She said arranging food for the household was already a struggle, and repeated visits to the police station, confrontations with police personnel and the mental strain of the developments had further aggravated their difficulties.
The woman also declined to speak about her daughter-in-law, saying the couple lived separately.
The encounter took place around 3.30 am on Monday near the Bihar border, close to the Gouri gram panchayat area, when a police team from Raiganj police station went to arrest Roy, officials said.
According to police, Roy allegedly opened fire at the team, prompting personnel to retaliate in self-defence.
He sustained bullet injuries and was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The incident followed the recovery of the decomposed body of the 12-year-old girl from the Kulik forest on November 5, three days after she went missing. Roy, her uncle, was accused of raping and murdering her.
The killing marked the fourth reported police encounter in West Bengal since the BJP came to power in May.
(PTI News)
