Body of missing teacher recovered from Atreyee River

BALURGHAT: The corpse of a primary school teacher who was missing for the past three days, was recovered from the Atreyee River near the India-Bangladesh border in Balurghat on Thursday. The family of the deceased claims that harassment by money lenders led to his tragic end. They have demanded a thorough investigation and strict punishment for those responsible.

The victim, Sukanta Chakraborty, a 40-year-old resident of Power House area in Balurghat, was missing since Monday morning. He left home, informing his family he was heading to the market but did not return.

His family filed a missing person report at Balurghat Police Station and concerned well-wishers shared his disappearance on social media to aid in the search.

On Thursday, Sukanta’s body was found floating in the Atreyee River. His family has since alleged that he was murdered, pointing fingers at a money lender named Pappu Yadav. According to the victim’s father, Salil Chakraborty and mother, Uma Chakraborty, Sukanta had borrowed Rs 2.4 lakh from Yadav. He was reportedly paying an exorbitant monthly interest of Rs 24,000 and was under severe mental stress due to constant threats.

“We had noticed his deteriorating condition and had asked him. He finally admitted the burden of the debt. We believe this led to his death,” the grieving parents said. They have lodged a formal complaint against Yadav.

District Police Superintendent Chinmay Mittal stated: “We are investigating the matter thoroughly.”

The incident has sparked outrage, with calls for stringent action against exploitative money lending practices.