A history-sheeter facing 36 criminal cases was shot dead in an alleged police encounter in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Sunday afternoon, November 15, 2026—two days after he allegedly opened fire on a police constable during an arrest attempt in Bolpur.
The deceased, identified as Ratan Sheikh, was declared brought dead at the Bolpur Subdivisional Hospital following the exchange of fire near a bridge in the Nanoor area, district police officers said.
How the Nanoor Encounter Unfolded
The operation followed an intensive manhunt launched after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited injured police constable Biswajit Das at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital on Saturday. Das had been shot in the leg on Friday at the Layekbazar bus stand under the Santiniketan police station limits while attempting to arrest Sheikh, who had recently been released on bail in one of the cases registered against him:
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- Weapon Recovery Operation: According to Birbhum district police officials, investigators traced and apprehended Sheikh on Sunday and questioned him regarding the firearm used in Friday’s attack on the constable.
- Exchange of Fire: Police said Sheikh led a team to a spot near a bridge in Nanoor where the pistol had been hidden, before suddenly picking up the weapon and opening fire at the officers. Bullets reportedly struck a police vehicle, prompting personnel to retaliate in self-defence, fatally injuring Sheikh.
”The bullets hit a police vehicle. The police team returned fire in self-defence and Sheikh was hit.”
— Birbhum District Police Officer
Fifth Police Encounter Since May 2026
While Birbhum district police had not issued an official formal statement on the incident as of Sunday evening, officials noted that Sheikh is the fifth accused person killed in a police encounter in West Bengal since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the state government in May 2026. Of the four individuals killed in earlier encounters over the past six months, three were accused in cases involving the rape and murder of minor girls, while one was the prime suspect in the murder of a BJP worker.
