Buddhadeb visits kin of youth killed by sister’s abusers

KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday visited the family of the youth who was killed by some miscreants because he protested their using abusive language against his sister in North 24-Paraganas district.

Rajib Das was severely beaten up by three men late Monday night when he protested their misbehaviour against his elder sister Rinku Das. He died of his injuries Tuesday.

Bhattcharjee visited the family during the day and assured them that the culprits will be brought to justice.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs.2 lakh to the Das family and offered a government job to one of the family members.

According to the locals, the incident took place around 11.30 p.m. Monday when Rajib and Rinku were returning home at Banikanthapur near Barasat.

As Rajib was attacked in the visinity of the offices and bungalows of senior police officers and district officials are located, Rinku approached the policemen on duty outside the bungalow of the additional superintendent of police of North 24-Parganas district for help. But she was turned away.

She returned to find that her brother was stabbed. He was taken to a local hospital and then to the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital here, but he died of his injuries Tuesday.

“The CID (Criminal Investigation Department) has been asked to take over the investigations. Three persons have been detained in connection with the case so far. Meanwhile, policeman N.G. Karmakar, who was on duty outside the ASP’s bungalow that night, has been suspended, said the state’s Additional Director General (Law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha at the state secretariat Writers Buildings.

Describing the incident as very unfortunate, the state’s Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh said the guards on duty should have responded to the call for help.

The district magistrate has been asked to submit a report on the incident, he said.

“It is more important to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” Ghosh added.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress supporters, backed by their senior leaders and MPs Sougata Roy and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, surrounded Bhattacharjee and demanded his resignation.

The miscreants are supporters of CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and the police let them escape, alleged Dastidar.

The Trinamool leaders also claimed that the victim was their party supporter and tried to take Das’s body out in a procession. CPI-M supporters protested and scuffled with the Trinamool workers.

Trinamool is trying to play politics with the victims body. He was not a Trinamool supporter. The incident was unfortunate and we want stern punishment for the miscreants, former CPI-M MP Amitava Nandi said.

A huge police contingent, led by Inspector General (South Bengal) Sanjoy Mukherjee, Deputy Inspector General (presidency range) S.N. Gupta and district police chief Rahul Srivastav, was deployed in the area.