CPI(M)'s claim that man died of cops' lathi-charge turns out to be false

Doing what it does best, the CPI(M), in a desperate bid to tarnish the image of the city police and spread canard, claimed that one of its local leader succumbed to the injuries that he received when police resorted to lathi-charge during the party's march to Nabanna. However, the claims fell flat and has been proven to be a false one.

Salil Basu, a resident of Dum Dum's Nayapatti, died in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital at 7.30 am on Sunday. Soon after his death, CPI(M) leaders started raising allegations that Basu had received injuries on his head while participating in the Left Front's march to Nabanna on May 22.

However, what is interesting to learn is that despite receiving such serious injuries on his head, he had taken part in the rally organised by the party on May 23 protesting against police's lathi-charge during the march to Nabanna. Meanwhile, it has been claimed that he suddenly started feeling sick on May 23 after attending the protest rally and got admitted to the hospital.  

Interestingly, the police found that he was not admitted to the hospital on May 23. Instead, he was admitted on May 25 after he had fallen down inside the washroom of his house and now, CPI(M)is claiming that he died after receiving severe injuries on his head during the march to Nabanna.   

Stating that "this is a false propaganda", the Kolkata Police in a communiqué clearly mentioned: "This is false propaganda at its worst. The medical records prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the gentleman was admitted at RG Kar Hospital on May 25 with a history of a fall in his bathroom. He passed away today (Sunday), the reasons being hemorrhagic stroke as per the death certificate."

It has been further mentioned by the police that: "Any death is unfortunate. More unfortunate, however, are malicious attempts to malign the police and reap political mileage out of it. We condemn this in no uncertain terms. Legal action will be contemplated if such sinister efforts to malign the police continue."

According to political analysts, this could be an attempt of the party to gain some space by doing politics over death of one of their workers. However, such attempts are at present politically insignificant in front of the developmental works being carried out by the Mamata Banerjee government.