Police Get Praise from Agnimitra Paul After Two Encounters

Kolkata, October 28: West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul has expressed support for the police through a poem shared on social media, after two encounters were reported in different districts of the state.

The encounters took place in Gaighata, North 24 Parganas, and Samserganj, Murshidabad. The minister, who is in charge of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development, posted the poem titled 'Encounter' on her social media account.

The initial lines of the poem, written in Bengali, speak of stopping crime so that people can live without fear. They call for the removal of the darkness of fear and for hands responsible for public safety to prevent repeated crimes.

The poem's middle section says injustice must not be accepted and that crime should be handled firmly. It notes that decisions are not easy to make when conditions are difficult.

In its final lines, the poem underlines the importance of courage and of people's safety above all else. It says the strength of the state should stand with the people and that peace should return to every home. It adds that firmness is needed to suppress crime and that public safety cannot be compromised.

The poem has appeared alongside claims by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari that the police have been given a free hand to deal with crimes against women and narcotics trafficking.

Prahlad Das, accused of raping and murdering a minor, was killed in a police encounter in Gaighata during the night between Sunday and Monday. Samiul Sheikh, accused of killing a local BJP leader in Samserganj earlier this year, was killed in a police encounter there on Tuesday afternoon.