Man Accused Of Shooting Cop Killed In Bengal. 5th Encounter In 6 Months

 A man accused of opening fire at a police constable at Santiniketan in West Bengal's Birbhum district on November 13 was killed in a gunfight with the law enforcers on Sunday, a senior officer said.

Ratan Sheikh was killed after he opened fire at a police team while trying to evade arrest at a brick kiln in Nanoor in the same district.

This was the fifth police encounter in West Bengal in six months since the BJP came to power in the state.

Sheikh, a history-sheeter who was absconding, allegedly shot at constable Biswajit Das, injuring him in the leg, during an arrest attempt at Laik Bazar in Santiniketan police station area on November 13.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while reacting to the development, told reporters, "If someone opens fire at the police, should the police offer them sweets?"

He asserted that criminals have no place in the state. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)