Kolkata Police's 1st woman OC Debashree Chatterjee, 2 others die in road accident

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of Debashree Chatterjee (55), the first woman Officer-in-Charge of Kolkata Police, who died in a tragic car crash early on Friday morning.

The security guard and the driver of the ill-fated SUV also died in the incident. Chatterjee was on the way to her home in Behala from Siliguri when the accident took place at Dadpur in Hooghly district on Friday morning.

Condoling her death, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "Deeply grieved to hear about the demise of Debashree Chatterjee, CO 12th Bn in an unfortunate road accident on Durgapur Expressway. She was a KP officer posted on deputation to WB Police. The driver and her guard also died in the mishap. My condolences to the family of the deceased."

Chatterjee on Thursday after wrapping up her work started from Siliguri for Behala at night. On Friday at around 6:25 am, her SUV hit a sand-laden truck on its back that was parked at the roadside on Durgapur Expressway near Hodla more in Dadpur. A police van patrolling nearby rushed to the spot and found Chatterjee and others dead on the spot. Later, the police brought out the bodies from the car and sent them to Chinsurah Imambara Hospital for autopsy examination.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (SP), Hooghly (Rural), Tathagata Basu along with other senior officials visited the spot. Primarily, it is suspected that the driver might have fallen asleep and he did not see the parked truck.

Chatterjee joined Kolkata Police as a Sub-Inspector and after promotion to the Inspector rank, was posted as the Additional OC of Hare Street police station. Later she was posted as the OC of North Port police station. During her service tenure, Chatterjee served as the Assistant Commissioner of Women's Grievance Cell under the Detective Department. She was promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner in the Women's Grievance Cell.

In 2016, she was transferred to the post of Commandant of State Armed Police, 4th Battalion in North Dinajpur on deputation. Later she was posted as the Commandant of State Armed Police's 12th Battalion.

On Friday, Chatterjee, her security guard and driver were given a Guard of Honour by the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate.