A man wanted in at least 36 criminal cases was killed in a police encounter in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Sunday, November 15, afternoon, just hours after he was arrested, making it the fifth such death of men in police custody in the state in the last five months and raising disturbing questions.
Ratan Sheikh died in what police described as retaliatory firing after he allegedly fired at the cops from a handgun at a brick kiln at Nanur in Birbhum. Shaikh, in his early 40s, was arrested a few hours earlier. Just two days ago, he had allegedly fired at a plainclothes police team trying to arrest him at Likabazar under Santiniketan police station. A police constable, Biswajit Das was injured in the leg in the firing by Sheikh, according to police.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had visited the injured constable at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital late Friday night, November 13. After seeing Das, Adhikari had said: “If you shoot at the police, there will be no shower of flowers.” Das was shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for further treatment on Sunday.
“I will do whatever is required under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. I will speak in accordance with the law,” the CM had said. “These (guns) are not given to police to be kept in their pockets. They must be used at the right time,” he had added.
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It was on Friday (November 13) itself that Ratan Sheikh had secured bail in a case in which he was arrested a few months earlier. A plainclothes police team had gone the same day to arrest him in connection with another case, during which he allegedly fired at the team and injured Das. A native of Saonta village in Nanur, Ratan Sheikh was known for criminal activities in the area.
After arresting Sheikh on Sunday morning, a police team took him to a brick kiln in Nanur, where he said he had hidden the gun with which he fired at the constable on Friday. “He got the handgun and fired again at the police team. Policemen resorted to retaliatory firing in self-defence, in which the accused was shot. He was taken to Nanur hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival,” said a police officer.
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Just six days before Sheikh’s encounter death, Dilip Roy, accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, was shot dead during a midnight police operation in the Ryan area (Uttar Dinajpur / Raiganj) after allegedly opening fire first.
The five police encounter deaths since BJP came to power in West Bengal in May are as follows:
July 8, 2026: Prabhas Mondal, a key accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, was killed in an exchange of fire during a crime-scene reconstruction.
October 26-27, 2026: Prahlad Das, a 23-year-old man accused in the rape and murder of an adolescent girl in Gaighata in North 24 Parganas, was killed after allegedly snatching a service revolver and opening fire during a crime-scene reconstruction.
October 27, 2026: Samaun / Samiul Sheikh, prime accused in the murder of BJP worker Sujit Mondal in Murshidabad (Dhulian / Samserganj), was killed while allegedly trying to escape custody after snatching a firearm from a CID officer.
November 9, 2026: Dilip Roy, a youth accused in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, was shot dead during a midnight police operation in the Ryan area (Uttar Dinajpur / Raiganj) after allegedly opening fire first.
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November 15, 2026: Ratan Sheikh, a criminal active in Birbhum district, allegedly shot police constable Biswajit Das in Santiniketan on November 13. He was killed in an alleged gunfight with police at a brick kiln in Nanoor in Birbhum district after firing again at the police team.
