Burrabazar accused remanded in police custody for 14 days

Kolkata: Fifty-five-year-old Shiv Kumar Gupta, alias "Mota Uncle", on Monday was remanded in police custody for 14 days in connection with Sunday's incident in which he allegedly threw three children from the fourth-floor verandah of a building at Burrabazar area leaving one of them dead. He was produced before the Bankshall Court.

The boy who died at the spot was two-year-old Shivam Shaw while another six-year-old boy miraculously survived even after falling from the fourth floor of the building. He was admitted to NRS

Medical College and Hospital and is still in a traumatised state. He received head and leg injuries.

A four-year-old girl, who was among the three children, got saved from falling and was found hanging holding the railing of the verandah. She was treated and discharged on Sunday night itself. "They used to call the accused neighbour 'Mota Uncle'. The situation is such that the girl is getting traumatised even at the slightest mention of the name," said a senior police officer adding that they will also be taking statements of both the children once they recover.

Gupta, who is a driver, was arrested on Sunday night itself. Senior officers of the Kolkata Police and officers of the

Homicide Section of the City Police's Detective Department visited the spot on Sunday night.

According to Kolkata Police sources, Gupta initially refused to admit that he had committed the crime but later he broke down and confessed.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Gupta had a quarrel with the victim's father 15 days ago. A heated altercation took place when Gupta protested against the children playing in the verandah that both the neighbours share. He allegedly threatened to throw the children from the verandah in a fit of rage.

Though police suspect that Gupta committed the crime at the "heat of the moment", the investigating officers are also looking into the aspect of "old rivalry" behind the crime.

Investigation revealed

that the accused's wife died an unnatural death a year ago. The police are looking into that

too.

The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a report from the police in this connection.

Psychologist Yashabanti Seeramany said the possibility of the accused suffering from depression for staying indoors for a long time cannot be ruled out. At the same time, it would also have to be looked into whether he was disturbed for any reason at the time of the incident.