Kolkata: The ham radio operators in Bengal have been instrumental in uniting a woman with her husband based in Bengaluru after having served 14 years of rigorous imprisonment on murder charges.
The authorities of Dum Dum Central Correctional Home had sought assistance from amateur radio operators to trace the family members of the woman whose whereabouts were unknown either to the woman or the authorities of the correctional home, who left her languishing in the prison even after the release order.
Shakuntala (name changed) has been serving 14 years of imprisonment on charges of killing her mother in a fit of rage. She had complained to her mother about alleged torture at her in-laws’ residence, but the latter advised her to adjust, saying such things are common in the in-laws’ house.
The casual reply angered Shakuntala, who threw a pebble at her mother, hitting her on the head. Her mother was cutting vegetables with a knife at the time, and the sudden impact of the pebble also caused injuries from the knife. The injuries proved fatal. Shakuntala was arrested by the Kharagpur Police Station and sentenced to imprisonment in 2011. At the time of the incident, her husband, Sujit Lamichani, lived at Salua in Kharagpur, but neither the police nor the correctional home authorities could trace him or any other family members.
The woman was also unable to provide any information but pleaded to be reunited with her family. Subsequently, the welfare officer of the Midnapore correctional home, Anirudhha Ghosh, contacted Ambarish Nag Biswas of the West Bengal Radio Club and sought his assistance. After sustained efforts, her husband, who works with the CISF at Bengaluru airport, and her son, who is currently employed with a Dubai-based hotel, were traced. Meanwhile, the woman was transferred to the Dum Dum Central Correctional Home for better healthcare facilities.
“Shakuntala was reunited with her husband and son on Saturday after all formalities were completed, and she will be returning home with her husband,” said Nag Biswas.