Chief Minister’s Remarks on Funds Spark Further Criticism After Encounter Death

Kolkata, July 8 – The fallout from the Baripur encounter intensified after the West Bengal chief minister’s comment on public spending. In a recent interview, the chief minister advised citizens to “collect in the morning and spend in the evening,” a statement Moitra interpreted as an implicit admission that Mandal was alive in the morning and dead by evening.

Moitra argued that the timing of the remarks suggested a deliberate cover‑up, implying that the death was staged to coincide with the official narrative. She accused the government of presenting the extrajudicial killing as a form of “justice” while simultaneously demanding fiscal prudence from the public.

The opposition further contended that the chief minister’s words reflected a broader pattern of lawlessness, where political directives override legal safeguards. They called for a transparent forensic report and an independent probe into the actions of the police unit involved.

Legal experts warn that such statements can undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system and may constitute an obstruction of justice if they are seen as attempts to manipulate the timeline of the encounter.