E-Paper
‘We are also humans’: Wife of Kolkata Police officer injured during 'Nabanna Abhijan' rally
A brick struck Debasish Chakraborty’s left eye during the attack, causing severe damage. He is currently receiving treatment at Shankar Nethralaya.
Debasish Chakraborty, a police officer in the Cyber Cell of West Bengal Police’s East Division and his wife Debarati had organised their son’s fifth birthday celebration for Tuesday, August 27. However, their plans were disrupted when Debasish was injured in the eye during the ‘Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj’s’ ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest rally on the same day.
Debasish and his team were stationed at 11 Furlong Gate for duty but were later reassigned. As they proceeded towards Strand Road via Kingsway (Eden Gardens), a group of protesters, both male and female students, began hurling stones at their vehicles.
During the attack, a brick struck Debasish directly in the left eye, causing serious damage. He is currently receiving treatment for his injury at Shankar Nethralaya, News18 reported.
He called his wife Debarati to let her know he was being taken to the hospital. Upon hearing the news, she rushed there and saw the extent of the injury to her husband's eye.
The police department is considering taking him to Hyderabad, as doctors have warned there could be potential issues with his vision, the report added.
“I don’t know what happened. He is very cool headed. His eyes have been damaged badly. The department is planning to take him to Hyderabad. With their duty, they are always fighting with risk,” News18 quoted Debarati as saying.
She expressed confidence in his recovery, hoping that he will regain his vision and soon return to duty.
“A lot of people say a lot of things about police, but our husbands take a risk and work. We haven’t come from any other planet, the police also have family, children. We are also human beings,” report quoted Debarati.
She also questioned who should be blamed when something like this happens, especially since her husband has been badly injured and might face permanent vision problems, even though it’s part of his job.
Debasish’s five-year-old son thinks his father is away on duty and will come home soon. Debarati in her thirties has been at the hospital doing everything she can to protect her husband’s vision.
Even though the state government and the police department are supporting her she looks worried and keeps praying for his recovery.
The Kolkata Police have initiated legal action against the protesters following Debasish’s injury. Alongside Debasish, at least 25 police officers and several protesters sustained injuries.
The police community is shocked by Debasish Chakraborty’s condition. Police officer Aloke Sanyal took to Facebook to express that Debasish was a colleague and called for justice.
Why did BJP call for Bangla bandh?
The Bharatiya Janata Party called for a 12-hour Bangla bandh (strike in West Bengal) on Wednesday, August 28, in protest against “brutal” police action against “peaceful” protesters during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ or march to state secretariat in Kolkata on Tuesday.
The protesters were attempting to reach ‘Nabanna’ to demand the resignation of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over the alleged rape-murder of a doctor at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
The streets of Kolkata were gripped by violence and chaos following a protest rally that took a wrong turn in Kolkata. Following the incident, Union minister and West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumder called for a “12-hour bandh” in the state.
