Retired scientist’s daughter stripped, thrashed in Bengal

April 18, 2012

daughter

Baruipur, April 18: A 30-year-old woman lay bleeding in front of her home for two hours after allegedly being molested and beaten up by rowdies on Sunday while police looked the other way. She says she was stripped and assaulted in front of her father, a retired scientist, by their landlord and members of a local club.

Police took their time responding to her SOS. The two policemen who finally arrived did not bother to take a complaint, or help her and her father, Aparesh Bhattacharya, get to a hospital. They left them bleeding on the road. They picked themselves up and went to SSKM to get their wounds treated and could file a complaint at Baruipur police station only on Tuesday.

The main accused, Goutam Pal, denies the charges. On Tuesday, Pal's wife filed a counter complaint, accusing the elderly scientist of molesting her. Locals are too scared to talk about the incident, saying that those accused in the assault are members of both Trinamool Congress and CPM.

The woman, a law graduate, and her father rented Pal's first-floor apartment in Mullickpur, South 24-Parganas, in February this year after Bhattacharya retired from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology. Soon after moving in, he proposed to buy the flat from Pal but the two parties got into a legal wrangle over the purchase agreement. Pal started asking Bhattacharya to vacate the flat in March.

According to the Bhattacharyas, a gang of around 20 men barged into the house around 1.30pm on Sunday and attacked them. The goons stripped the woman, molested her and dragged the father-daughter out on to the street where the assault continued. Someone informed Baruipur police station but the goons had left well before the cops arrived.

"We were shaken, scared and helpless. Around 3pm, when two policemen came, we felt relieved but they refused to help us. Leave alone taking a complaint, they would not help us get to hospital," said Bhattacharya.

"I get a chill down my spine whenever I think about the incident. They tore my clothes, molested me and assaulted me and my father. There were so many of them. We were just two. I want the guilty to be punished," she told TOI on Tuesday. The homeless duo went to Baruipur police station on Tuesday along with a lawyer and lodged a police complaint.

"I do not know the names of the club members who raided our house because we are new in the locality. But I know at least four of them by face. One of them is secretary of the club. They must have some political clout or else how would they dare commit such rowdism in broad daylight," said Bhattacharya.

Police have registered a case of attempt to rape, molestation and grievous injury against Pal and others. On Tuesday Pal's wife also lodged a complaint accusing the Bhattacharyas of attacking her.

"The Bhattacharyas wanted to buy the flat for 40 lakh and gave Rs 2 lakh as advance. When they defaulted on paying the rest, we asked them to vacate the house. How can they forcefully occupy it? When I went to my house, the retired scientist misbehaved with me and their pet dogs pounced on me and my relative. On hearing our screams, the club members came to our rescue," she said.

Neighbours who witnessed the incident are too scared to speak. "I saw a group of men entering the house and heard the father-daughter pleading. But since Pal is very influential and the club members are affiliated to both Trinamool and CPM, none of us dared to protest. Whatever happened was very unfortunate but we could not help the Bhattacharyas," said a neighbour.

Trinamool MLA Biman Banerjee denied the club was involved. "The dispute is between the landlord and the tenant. Some club members must have gone there on hearing of the incident but they had no direct role. Let the law take its course," said Banerjee, the assembly speaker.

CPM district secretary Sujan Chabraborty said: "I do not want to get into the dispute on the possession of the house as it will be decided by court. But I strongly protest the atrocity on the woman."

"Both the parties have been fighting a legal case regarding the purchase of the flat for sometime now. On Tuesday we received complaint from both sides. We are investigating them," said additional SP (rural) South 24-Parganas Kankar Prasad Barui.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 22,2020

Warangal, May 22: In a shocking incident, bodies of nine migrant workers, including six of a family, were found in a well at Gorrekunta area in the outskirts of Warangal city. Of the nine bodies, four were found on May 21.

"Till now, nine bodies have been found in a well near a gunny bag godown at Gorrekunta area in the outskirts of Warangal city. Of the nine bodies, four were found on May 21 and the rest were found today. As six of the bodies belong to one family, it has led to suspicion," said Dr V Ravinder, Commissioner of Police, Warangal, while speaking to ANI over phone.

"The four bodies that were found yesterday have been identified as Md Maksood (50), his wife Nisha (45), daughter Busra (20) and grandson (3). The five bodies that have been found today have been identified as that of Shabad Alam, son of Maksood, Sohail Alam (Maksood's family member), Shakeel, a family friend of Maksood," he further said.

The bodies have been taken out from the well and sent to MGM Hospital for post mortem.
Minister Errabelli Dayakar, District Collector Harita, Mayor Prakash Rao have visited the spot along with the Warangal Commissioner.

Md Maksood had migrated from West Bengal to Warangal 20 years ago. Since last December, he and his family members have been working in a nearby gunny bag manufacturing unit godown at Gorrekunta. After the lockdown, the family shifted from Warangal and settled down in the factory godown.

According to police, on Thursday noon when the unit owner Santosh came to the godown as part of his daily routine he could not find any of the labourers. Later, he discovered four dead bodies floating in the well.

The Warangal police has registered a case under Section 174 CrPC. They said the exact reason for their deaths will be known only after the investigation.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 12,2020

Visakhapatnam, Jul 12: A man of Kotturu village in Anakapalle mandal in Visakhapatnam has allegedly died by suicide after losing money in online gambling.

According to his friends, 24-years-old Doddi Venkata Aravind died after losing money in online gambling. However, Police is yet to ascertain the cause of death.

"This noon at around 1 pm (July 11), one Bhavani reported to us that her son Doddi Venkata Aravind (24), has committed suicide by hanging himself at their house," said Sub-inspector Chakradhar Rao.

"We think he might have committed suicide due to financial or any other problems. Full details will be known in the investigation. Whether he had lost in online gambling, we don't know the details," he added.

The police have filed a case and an investigation is underway.

DV Aravind worked as a junior engineer in a private mining company at Rayagada, Odisha. He came to his mother's place three days ago. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 19,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 19: Bengaluru City Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday raided a spa in Koramangala area and rescued six girls.

The owner of the spa is absconding and the manager has been arrested.

Further details are awaited.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.