Calcutta HC approves fast-track hearing of custodial death case in Bengal’s Nabagram

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) Calcutta High Court’s single- judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta on Thursday admitted the case of a custodial death in the police lockup at Nabagram Police station in West Bengal's Murshidabad district and also approved its fast-track hearing.

In the beginning of this month, the body of Gobinda Ghosh, who was arrested as an accused in a theft case, was found hanging at the lockup of Nabagram police station.

Family members of the victim alleged that he was picked up by police on charges of involvement in a theft case two days before the body was found. The police assured the family members that he will be released after some inquiry and interrogation. However, they added, two days after the arrest they received the news of his death in police custody.

A departmental inquiry started, following which police officials, namely the inspector-in-charge of Nabagram Police Station Amit Kumar Bhakat and the investigating officer in the case Shyamal Mondal were suspended.

The death also created political uproar in the state with the state Congress president and five-time party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claiming the incident to be a fallout of political vendetta as the deceased was associated with Congress and played an important role in the recently concluded panchayat polls.