A 21-year-old college student who protested against hooch and satta dens at in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district was brutally killed on Friday night, bringing back memories of the killing of a schoolteacher who was shot dead on the same day two years ago for protesting against similar anti-social activities in the same district.
Sourav Chowdhury's mutilated body was found in Kulberia beside the railway tracks between Bamungachhi and Duttapukur, about 40km north of Kolkata, on Saturday morning.
"His father told us that, on Friday night, a local rowdy, Shyamal Karmakar, called him out of his home. He wasn't seen since then. This morning, his body was found beside railway tracks, disfigured almost beyond recognition," superintendent of police Tanmoy Roy Chowdhury told HT.
"Shyamal has criminal cases pending against him. We've started a probe," Roy Chowdhury said. The police have recovered a bullet from the spot. Demonstrations broke out at several places in the locality on Saturday, with people blocking roads and railway tracks on Saturday morning and evening. The BJP has called a 12-hour strike at Bamungachhi on Sunday.
North 24-Parganas has repeatedly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In 2011, a school student, Rajib Das, was killed at Barasat when he tried to protect his sister from hooligans. The following year, teacher Barun Biswas was killed, triggering waves of protest. In 2013, the country was rocked by the Kamduni rape and murder. The same year, another girl was raped by a Madhyamgram gang which allegedly also forced her to commit suicide.
{{/usCountry}}North 24-Parganas has repeatedly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In 2011, a school student, Rajib Das, was killed at Barasat when he tried to protect his sister from hooligans. The following year, teacher Barun Biswas was killed, triggering waves of protest. In 2013, the country was rocked by the Kamduni rape and murder. The same year, another girl was raped by a Madhyamgram gang which allegedly also forced her to commit suicide.
{{/usCountry}}According to reports, Sourav used to protest against illegal activities in his locality.
CPI(M) leader Md Selim said, "It's very unfortunate that goons enjoying the patronage of ruling party leaders are flexing their muscles and roaming free with impunity."