Loud sounds of banned crackers lead to death of elderly woman

In a tragic incident, a 63-year-old woman died after failing to tolerate the loud sounds of banned firecrackers at Vijaygarh in Jadavpur on Sunday evening.

Police said the victim Purnima Maitra was bedridden and was suffering from various diseases including heart ailment.

A police officer said some youth in the locality had been continuously bursting loud firecrackers.

The sound of the firecrackers was louder than even of “chocolate” bombs, alleged the victim’s daughter Pubali Sikha Maitra.

They continued bursting those crackers despite being repeatedly being told not to as her mother was ill and bedridden.

Instead of putting an end to bursting of crackers, they passed lewd comments at the victim’s daughter and made mimicry of her mother.

Finding herself in a helpless situation as there was no one else in the house apart from the domestic help, she dialed 100, the emergency number of the Kolkata Police. Within 20 minutes police officers from Jadavpur police station reached the area.

Finding the police entering the area all those who were bursting firecrackers fled to their respective 

houses. The police went to the victim’s house.

Her daughter narrated the entire incident to the policemen and accompanied them to the spot outside her house where the firecrackers were being burst.

Finding no one in the area, the police left the place and told her to contact them if she faces any problem. 

Returning to her room after the policemen had left the place, Pubali found her mother lying in the arms of the domestic help and she was gasping. She had been restless since when she woke up due to the loud sound of crackers.

“She could take it as her was suffering from heart ailment and died within minutes after the policemen had left the place,” Pubali said adding thus she sought help of the police again.

The policemen were on the way to the police station when they had again received Pubali’s call to give the information that her mother had passed away.

The police went back to the spot and the victim’s daughter lodged a complaint with the police against a local resident Gadai Deb holding him responsible for her mother’s death.

She alleged that their activity had led to the death of her mother.

The police detained the person and took him to the police station to know who else were bursting firecrackers in the area and what the reason was behind bursting firecrackers at such time of the year.