The New Indian Express ·
20-year-old dies after alleged suicide attempt inside police station in Bengal; family alleges custodial death
KOLKATA: Another incident of a mysterious death inside police custody was reported on Monday in West Bengal. This time, a 20-year-old accused in a theft case allegedly attempted to die by suicide by hanging inside a toilet at the Chandrakona police station in West Midnapore district in the state.
The accused, Rahul Ruidas, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, triggering mystery. Family members of the deceased alleged that he was killed inside the police station.
According to police sources, Rahul was arrested on charges in a theft case about four days ago. He was remanded to police custody for four days by the Ghatal Sub-Divisional Court.
On Sunday, he attempted suicide by hanging inside the toilet of the police station. After hearing a sound from the toilet, police rushed there and rescued Rahul, a resident of Bogeswarpur under Chandrakona police station.
He was taken to the nearby rural hospital and then shifted to Ghatal Sub-divisional Hospital after his condition deteriorated. He died at the sub-divisional hospital.
Local sources claimed he was a drug addict.
Admitting his habit of drug addiction, the family members alleged he was killed inside the police station. The district police administration has not yet made any official statement on the incident.
The incident comes a month after Birju Keot, husband of Zeni Sharma Keot, former Trinamool Congress councillor of Kanchrapara Municipality, allegedly died in a police lockup under Halisahar police station in North 24 Parganas district, escalating political tension.
The incident happened in the Kanchrapara area of the district during the second week of August,
Zeni Sharma Keot lodged a complaint with the local police station alleging that her husband, Birju Keot, was beaten to death by police in the lockup.
Birju was arrested by police of Halisahar police station on charges of alleged extortion and other corrupt practices. He was produced before the court by police and remanded to police custody by a judge for five days.
She alleged that police beat her husband up ruthlessly inside the lockup after she left the police station.
According to sources in the police station, Birju was found lying ill inside the lockup and rushed to the state-run medical college hospital at Kalyani on an emergency basis, where doctors declared him dead.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the family of the Trinamool Congress worker in Halisahar of North 24 Parganas district on 10 August, a day after former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was abused and her car was attacked when she reached the spot to meet the victim’s relatives
Admitting police negligence, Suvendu met the family members and said that the accused died in police custody. Suvendu announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident, along with Rs 10 lakh financial assistance and a government job for the victim's wife.
Mamata Banerjee faced protests from locals on August 9 when she, along with Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen, was going to meet the family members of the deceased party worker at Kanchrapara.
Locals allegedly backed by the ruling BJP in the state attacked the car of the former Chief Minister three times and protested, shouting slogans of "chor, chor (thief)" when her convoy was passing through Bijpur Road close to Kanchrapara.
The protesters hurled mud and slippers at her car, claiming that she came to the spot to provoke political unrest in the area.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)