South 24-Parganas: Police station gheraoed post death of youth

Kolkata: Tension erupted at Dholahat in South 24-Parganas on Tuesday morning with hundreds of people assembling in front of a police station following the death of a local youth four days after he was released on bail.

The family members and neighbours of the youth alleged that he was beaten to death while he was in police custody.

The victim’s father has submitted a written complaint to the office of the district police superintendent, accusing the cops at Dholahat Police station of beating up the victim in custody which ultimately led to his death.

Sources said that on Tuesday morning, hundreds of local people, mostly women, assembled at the police station and began protesting. The crowd became aggressive and tried to barge into the police station. The police barricaded the place to prevent entry into the police station and RAF was deployed to prevent further flare up.

The family members said that the youth was arrested by police on June 30 on charges of stealing jewellery. They alleged there were marks of injuries when he was presented at a district court on July 4. He was granted bail on that day and was sent to a local hospital from where he was released after primary treatment.

The victim’s mother Taslima Bibi claimed that his condition began deteriorating when he reached home, following which he was shifted to National Medical College hospital in Kolkata.

Later, he was admitted to a private nursing home where he died on Monday night. When the information of his death spread at Dholahat, the locals started agitation. “There were no medical issues while the person was produced in court. We have started a departmental enquiry on the basis of the family’s complaint,” a senior police official of Sunderban Police district said.

Meanwhile, a person was allegedly beaten up on suspicion of abducting a school girl at Canning in South 24-Parganas. Sources said one Tapas Makal was beaten up by some persons and on being informed, the police reached the spot. The injured person was taken to a local hospital.

“There has been a complaint of abduction against the person whom we have rescued from getting beaten up. We will take him into custody for investigation,” said a police officer.