| 17/02/2011 One arrested in Barasat eve teasing incident
Barasat/Kolkata, Feb 17 (PTI) A wanted criminal was arrested today in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Rajib Das by some drunken youths at Barasat town in North 24 Parganas district. Five armed policemen on duty in bungalows of big bosses not enough to save a boy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Feb. 16: The way 16-year-old Rajib Das was left at the mercy of his murderers has dredged up a litany of lapses symptomatic of the rot in the Bengal administration. • The screams of Rinku Das to save her brother from drunks who had pounced on the siblings in Barasat were ignored by as many as five uniformed and armed policemen on duty within earshot. A sixth, apparently off duty, was also around. • A constable, along with the "off-duty" colleague, had strayed from the assigned post in the neighbouring bungalow and was standing at the district magistrate's gate when Rinku rushed in, according to officials. This suggests that the purported rule cited by the guard inside the district magistrate's bungalow to Rinku —that he is not allowed to leave his assigned post — is applied only selectively. • The two constables — at least one would have been armed as night-duty policemen are supposed to carry weapons — could have rushed to the rescue of the boy who was being assaulted less than 100 metres down the road. • If the constables did not want to take a chance without verification, they could have alerted at least four of their armed colleagues.
• The three bungalows closest to where the 23-year-old Rinku was standing and wailing for help are assigned to the three senior-most officials entrusted with the task of administering North 24-Parganas (Barasat is the district headquarters). The occupants of the three bungalows are the district magistrate, the superintendent of police and the additional SP. • The girl was screaming and thumping the gates of the district magistrate's bungalow but none in the leafy VIP zone stirred to enquire or offer help. All one constable did was give her the number of the police station. • District magistrate and IAS officer Vinod Kumar was so dismissive yesterday that he had hastily denied Rinku's account, basing his conclusion on an "inquiry" and without drawing attention to the detail that two guards were on duty behind his gates which the call centre employee had rattled desperately. • The extent of callousness deepened following disclosures today that the district magistrate had not briefed the government on the gravity of the incident. "I came to know of it late. It happened on Monday night. The boy died yesterday. I should have been informed much earlier. I got to know of it only this morning," chief secretary Samar Ghosh said at Writers' Buildings. The reluctance of uniformed personnel to go to the aid of citizens in grave danger, the eagerness to hide behind rules, the penchant to brazen out inadequacies and the information black hole that stretches to the top echelons of the administration unfolded in Barasat but they are by no means confined to the town. Every resident of Bengal will have at least one instance of official callousness to recount from everyday life. One of the constables who had expressed his inability to help the boy has been suspended. The allegation of inaction against the five other policemen in the bungalows is being probed. District magistrate Kumar and SP Rahul Srivastava, who are neighbours, have been asked to submit a written explanation on the incident and the delay in initiating action. On Tuesday, Kumar had told The Telegraph: "I've heard about the allegation but after conducting an inquiry, I found it was not true." On Wednesday, numerous calls to his phone went unanswered. "They had not even reported the matter properly to their bosses at Writers'. Those who could have realised the gravity of the matter were kept in the dark," a police officer said. Apparently after reading media reports, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as well as several other politicians made a beeline to the boy's home today. Bhattacharjee's convoy was stopped by a crowd of angry residents who booed and shouted slogans. Two persons have been detained to verify if they had any role in the crime, though the culprits are yet to be identified. "The two are being interrogated. Efforts are on to nab all those involved. The CID and the district police have been asked to ensure prompt action," additional director-general (law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha said. Police constable Nitya Gopal Karmakar was suspended on the basis of SP Srivastava's report that he did not intervene to help Rinku and Rajib. On Monday night, when Rinku was returning home from office in the city on her brother Rajib's bicycle, a bunch of goons accosted them, sprinkled liquor on her and tried to take her away. When Rajib protested, he was pulled down from the cycle and beaten up. With passers-by ignoring calls for help, Rinku rushed to the nearby district magistrate's bungalow where Karmakar was standing outside the gate and pleaded for help, only to be turned away. Purkayastha said Karmakar was on duty at the adjoining bungalow of the district's additional SP but had sauntered down to the bungalow of the district magistrate with another constable. It was Karmakar to whom Rinku had turned for help. "Karmakar had not tried to prevent a cognisable offence. He had not tried to protect a life when he had the chance. He neglected a basic duty of every policeman," said chief secretary Ghosh. "The girl was screaming hysterically," an officer said. "So on a still night, the policemen in the nearby bungalows would have surely heard the girl's cries. It is criminal that none of them responded." "The policemen should have treated the matter with high priority. A life could have easily been saved with their intervention," Purkayastha said. The state government has declared a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the Das family. "The compensation is just a preliminary assistance. Such a death cannot be compensated with just monetary aid," finance minister Asim Dasgupta said. "We are open to offering a job to his (Rajib's) sister," he added. He came, he saw, he heard. But there was little that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee could do to console Rinku Das. In the tile-roofed, two-room Barasat house where Rinku sat with her elder sister and mother mourning the tragedy that befell them on Monday night, the chief minister's silence was as eloquent as the wails trapped within those four walls. Bhattacharjee had arrived at the house of slain Class X student Rajib Das at 12.15pm, only to find it teeming with neighbours eager to tell him how lawlessness had crept into their locality. His police entourage quickly herded them out, allowing only a couple of women to remain with the family. Rinku, in the same salwar-kameez she was seen in on Tuesday, sat on a mattress with her sister. Mother Gayatri, who has barely spoken since Monday night, lay beside her daughters. Chief minister Bhattacharjee walked towards a bed placed in a corner of the room to sit, his eyes fixed to the floor. Nobody uttered a word for almost a minute before one of the neighbours broke the silence. "Onake shob bolo (tell him everything that happened)," she prodded. Then the words flowed, highlighting how a 16-year-old died fighting to save his sister from goons while armed guards in the nearby district magistrate's bungalow shut their ears to the 23-year-old girl's cries for help. Metro recreates the conversation on Wednesday afternoon (based on Rinku and a neighbour's narration) that left the chief minister speechless. Rinku (softly and slowly): Shedin aami aar bhai… (That day my brother and I…) [She chokes on her tears] CM: Tell me everything in detail. Don't be afraid. Rinku: I had called Bhai (Rajib) just before my train entered Barasat station. He said he was already there. I saw him standing on the platform as soon as I alighted. We were soon headed home on his bicycle. We hadn't travelled far when three boys hurled a volley of abuse at us. I sensed trouble and told him: 'Bhai, jore jore chala…. danraabi na. (Brother, hurry up…. Don't stop).' He stepped up the pace but the three boys soon caught up with us and grabbed the bicycle's handle, forcing us to stop. As soon as I got down, they pushed my brother to the ground. One of them then sprinkled liquor on me from a bottle he was carrying. He was about to empty the bottle over my head when Bhai got up and asked him: "Dada, why are you doing this to my sister? What has she done?" The three turned on him and said: "Tui boro mastan hoye gechhis? Tor kachhe bonduk achhe? Tahole ber kor (You have become a big bully, have you? You are carrying a gun? Then take it out)." Bhai replied that there was no reason for him to carry a gun, at which they started punching and kicking him. I pleaded with them to let my brother go. I screamed. I cried. They wouldn't listen. [Rinku pauses, trying to control herself. Mother Gayatri can't; she breaks into tears. Chief minister Bhattacharjee looks stunned] Rinku (still struggling to speak): I spotted a cycle van with some men on it. I screamed to draw their attention. "Amar chhoto bhai ke banchao na, kaku….ora mere phelbe(Uncle, please save my little brother…. they'll kill him)," I shouted. The van stopped but one of the three assailants threatened them with dire consequences if they interfered. The van moved away without anyone protesting. [She pauses again as her eyes well up] A neighbour: Bolo thik kore, mone kore bolo (Tell him, try to recall everything and narrate). CM: Tarpor (Then what happened)? Rinku: By then, I realised that I wouldn't be able to save him by standing there and shouting for help. I had often seen police vehicles waiting near the district court nearby. I ran towards the building but there was nobody there. I kept running. Soon I was in front of the DM's residence. I shook the gate and thumped on it before a guard appeared. "Tomra taratari cholo. Bhai-ke okhane marchhe. Ora mere phelbe (Please come quickly. They are beating up my brother. They'll kill him)." [Rinku breaks down. A minute passes in silence.] CM: Then what happened? Rinku: The guards didn't come. They gave me the phone number of Barasat police station. I ran back towards the spot where I had left my brother. I met a man on the way and asked him to call the police station. He did so and joined me. As we were nearing the spot, a van approached us. My brother was on it, groaning and blood gushing out of a wound in his stomach. While we were headed for the hospital in the van, we saw a police jeep and stopped to tell the cops what had happened. Tarpor ki je holo (Everything else is a blur). [A 30-second pause] Rinku: He was my kid brother. His Madhyamik exams were to start next Wednesday (February 23). But see what has happened to him. [Noise of Trinamul protesters shouting "Go back, CM" fill the room] Gayatri (speaking for the first time): My son is gone forever. He won't come back. But please catch those who did this to him. Punish them. [Another pregnant pause] CM: Those at fault won't be spared. Those who have done this, every one of them will be tracked and punished. (To Rinku) Please come to Writers' Buildings with your father two days later. I am there for you. Let's see what can be done. [Chief minister Bhattacharjee gets up to leave but stops on seeing the crowd outside] IG (South Bengal) Sanjay Mukherjee: Will the CM be able to leave safely? SP Rahul Srivastava: There could be some jostling, sir. But we have to proceed, there's no way out. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110217/jsp/calcutta/story_13593181.jsp Politicians of all hues made a beeline for a narrow lane in a Barasat neighbourhood on Wednesday but failed to melt into the crowd of faces mourning the loss of a young life. Protesters at Banikanthanagar greeted chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee with black flags at noon and later refused to accept a hearse arranged by a Trinamul leader to carry slain Rajib Das's body. "Rajib wasn't interested in politics. But see how all the parties have come here to cash in on his death," said Nayan Adhikary, a classmate of the Class X student who died on Monday night fighting goons targeting his 23-year-old sister Rinku. "We want none of this. We don't need anyone's help," said another friend, his anger echoing through the day in this crowded neighbourhood about 25km from the heart of Calcutta. Chief minister Bhattacharjee was the day's most high-profile visitor but he wasn't the first. Union minister and Trinamul MP Saugata Roy was already there when he arrived around 12.15pm. Roy stepped out just as someone announced the chief minister's arrival and the duo almost collided at the narrow door to Rajib's home. They did not exchange even a glance. "Why should I talk to him? Rajib died because of the callousness of his administration. It is his failure. Should I demand his resignation? He will resign automatically after two months," Roy told Metro. After Bhattacharjee left, Roy went in again, this time joined by local Trinamul MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar. "Am I the chief minister? No. That is why I had to wait outside for half an hour for his (Bhattacharjee's) departure," said Kakali, sitting on a mattress laid on the floor and asking for Rinku. When Rinku, who was in the other room, came in, Kakali promptly put her arms around her. "Amaake ekta phone korli na keno re shedin raat-ey? Amar phone number to shobar kachhei achhe (Why didn't you call me that night? Everyone has my number)," Kakali said. She spent 40 minutes talking to Rinku and accusing Bhattacharjee of being responsible for Rajib's death. Before leaving, she thrust a wad of Rs 500 notes into the palm of Rinku's elder sister. "You'll need it… Lots of things to do," Kakali said. Congress leaders Krishna Debnath and Debabrata Basu made an appearance around 5pm. Through the day, leaders of the CPM and Trinamul and Congress supporters had surrounded the house and created a din that made the bereaved cringe and the neighbours fume. When a group of Trinamul supporters tried to force the body into a hearse arranged by a party leader, residents couldn't take the political circus anymore. "I saw Trinamul flags tied to the stretcher and tried to uproot one of them. A party member hit me with a flagstick," complained Nayan. "Rajib was my childhood friend but who are these people?" The flower-bedecked municipality hearse stood where it was parked as a Matador, untainted by any political colour, later carried Rajib's body away. Some residents then tore up a poster that demanded punishment to the killers of "SFI worker Rajib". In Calcutta, leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee spent an entire news conference trying to convince everyone that Rajib's family supported Trinamul. Who is to blame for Rajib Das's death? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110217/jsp/calcutta/story_13592843.jsp Two suspected snatchers said to be fleeing on a motorcycle were severely beaten up on Wednesday near the spot where Rajib Das was stabbed by a group of louts while he was trying to save his sister two days ago. To cover the 500 metres from Barasat police station to Wednesday's crime scene, the police took half an hour according to local people and 10 minutes according to the district police chief. Asked why cops took 10 minutes to travel half a kilometre, a senior officer said: "It takes time to bring the jeep out." He had no answer when asked why the force needed a car to travel half a kilometre during an emergency when they could have walked to the spot faster. Jayanta Baul and Dilip Das had been beaten up badly by the time the police reached them around 12.30pm. When some people suggested that the duo be handed over to the police, the mob retorted: "We don't trust them." Officers admitted that the tendency to deliver "instant justice" taking advantage of police inaction elsewhere could prove dangerous. At Barasat hospital, Das's condition was said to be critical. Baul is stable, said a doctor. "Their motorcycle got stuck in a traffic jam and a mob chasing them, screaming 'thief thief', caught up with them and dragged them down," said a witness, Haradhan Biswas. A gold chain they were accused of snatching from a woman at Hridaypur minutes ago was apparently found in Baul's trouser pocket. The place where the duo were assaulted is around 300 metres from the spot where Rajib was attacked on Monday night and about 500 metres from Barasat police station. "Some of us pleaded with the mob that they be handed over to the police but the majority did not want that," said local resident Asit Das. According to many like Das and Biswas, the police reached about 30 minutes after the assault began. "We rushed to the spot as soon as we got to know about the incident and rescued the duo from the mob," said Rahul Srivastava, the superintendent of police, who has been asked to explain the police's alleged laxity in connection with Rajib's death. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110217/jsp/calcutta/story_13592830.jsp |
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Five armed policemen on duty in bungalows of big bosses not enough to save a boy
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