HC directs state to file report on death of girl inside rehab

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has sought a report from the state in a case where a father alleged his daughter was murdered inside a rehabilitation centre and no proper investigation was conducted into her death, till date, by the police who refused to even collect CCTV footage of the

place of occurrence.

The Bench of Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj was moved by the father of the daughter who was found dead inside a rehabilitation centre in June this year. According to the petitioner, on June 1 at 9 am, he was informed by the staff and in-charge of the rehabilitation centre that his daughter had expired. The body was found to have already been taken to the Bangur Super

Speciality Hospital.

After the cremation rites were over, the petitioner went to Haridevpur Police Station at 10:15 am where police officers allegedly showed him photographs of his daughter hanging by a shower pipe with two ‘dupattas’ (scarf) around her neck inside the washroom of the rehabilitation centre.

The petitioner alleged that the scarf did not belong to his daughter and it was not supposed to be available there since such items were strictly prohibited inside the premises of the rehabilitation centre. It was alleged that there were not one but two dupattas

tied together.

The petitioner alleged it was a case of murder deliberately being given the shape of suicide. The father had lodged a complaint before Haridevpur Police Station and accordingly the criminal proceeding was initiated under Section 302/34 of the IPC.

It was alleged that despite the criminal proceeding, “due to extreme laxity and negligence on the part of the investigation agency” no proper investigation was conducted into the alleged

murder of the daughter.

Further, it was alleged that the investigating agency refused to collect CCTV footage of the place and time of occurrence of the alleged murder and as such helped the assailants eliminate such evidence. The court directed the state to file a report within September 10, 2024. The matter is set to again appear

on September 11.