Those who remained unheard: Families of two Asansol victims demand justice

Over a week after the violent clashes in Asansol, DNA visited the residences of two other deceased persons, whose families claim that they were victims of the flare-up, one of whom was allegedly mowed down by a police vehicle.

Pratima Devi Raut (44), a resident of Ram Krishna Dangal area of Asansol, had gone along with other women of the area to protest against police atrocities when she was allegedly run down by a police vehicle. "It happened right in front of my eyes. Women were gathering near Asansol North Police Station when they started firing tear gas shells. My mother fell unconscious on the road and got run over by a Bolero SUV, a police vehicle," said her eldest son Sandip Raut. He also alleged that he had been urging policemen posted in the locality to take her mother to the hospital but no one responded. She was initially taken to the government hospital and later to a private hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Pratima's husband Shailendra Raut is an employee of the local municipal body. Mayor of the local civic body and MLA of Pandabeswar constituency, Jitendra Nath Tiwari said that he had been informed about the death. "I have got a similar complaint by family members of the deceased. I have asked for a high-level inquiry into the incident and we are trying to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to Pratima's kin," Tiwari said.

District police, however, brushed aside the family's allegations. "It is not a fact," said LN Meena, commissioner, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate. He also added that Section 144 had been lifted from Asansol-Raniganj area with effect from 6 am on Monday since normalcy had been restored.

In another incident, about 25 km away from the place, in Vikas Nagar area of Raniganj, 50-year-old Mahesh Mandal was allegedly killed by people of a different community when he went to the field to attend nature's call. His wife, Nutan Devi said that Mandal, a daily wage earner, had returned home for lunch and after having his food had gone to the adjoining Karbala Maidan to defecate. "He was killed by people of other community who had attacked houses in our area. He was lying in the field. We could not even retrieve his body for a few hours. After several hours when he was taken to the hospital he was declared brought dead," Nutan said.

Their daughter, Radhika Kumari, a Class I student, too young to comprehend the tragdey that has struck her family, sat on her mother's lap with an expression of indifference.

The fallout of these two deaths has been the waning popularity of Babul Supriyo, BJP MP from Asansol. Sandip, who would be voting for the first time in a Lok Sabha election in 2019 said that he would like to see some other BJP candidate from Asansol. "He is a singer and is busy with his work. He hardly visits the constituency. I will think twice before voting for him if he is pitched again from here," he said.

Similar was the view of Sanjit Mahato, Nutan's brother, who lives in the adjacent village. "If there is an MP from Bengal's ruling party, I think he would be better equipped to serve the people here. Babul has been neglecting his constituency," he said.

In another development, the National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the Asansol flare up and in a letter addressed to the West Bengal Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, has asked for a detailed report within four weeks.

THE FALLOUT

The fallout of these two deaths has been the waning popularity of Babul Supriyo, BJP MP from Asansol. Pratima Devi Raut’s son, Sandip, who would be voting for the first time in a Lok Sabha election in 2019, said that he would like to see some other BJP candidate from Asansol