One held for abetting suicide of minor in Kasba

Kolkata: Tension gripped Naskarhat at Purbasree Pally area in Kasba, following the death of a 13-year-old whose hanging body was recovered from his residence on Tuesday night.

The minor was allegedly beaten up by his neighbours, who blamed him for stealing a pigeon. Soon after being assaulted, he was found hanging in his room.

The Kasba police station on Wednesday arrested a person, who happens to be the victim's neighbour, on charges of abetment of suicide.

According to police sources, Satrughan Chowdhury lodged a complaint with the police on Tuesday night, alleging that his neighbours were responsible for the death of his 13-year-old son as they had beaten him up on the suspicion that he had stolen a pigeon from their house.

Chowdhury alleged that one Rajen Sen (65), his son Ranojit Sen and his wife Gouri Sen had abused and slapped his minor son. Some other people in the neighbourhood had rushed to his rescue and stopped the trio.

However, soon after the incident, the boy was found hanging from the ceiling fan. No one was inside the house when the boy's mother returned after work, finding her son hanging.

"My son was beaten up for something that he had not done. They complained to a number of people in the locality that he had stolen their pigeon. He was unable to bear the mental torture and was compelled to commit suicide," the boy's mother alleged.

"Prima facie it appears that it was abetment that led to the suicide. Rajen Sen, the neighbour of the victim has already been arrested," an officer of Kasba police station said.

On Wednesday evening, the victim's family members resorted to agitation with the body of the boy in front of the Sen residence and demanded arrest of Rajen's son and daughter-in-law.