IPS officer blames Mamata in suicide note, TMC claims charge baseless
Kolkata, Feb 25: A retired IPS officer, who allegedly committed suicide last week, blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for his death, a charge dismissed by the state's ruling TMC as "baseless".
In a 6-page letter to the chief minister, Gaurav Chandra Dutt, who retired earlier this year, accused her of abetting his suicide by keeping him "compulsory waiting" for posting.
The 1986 batch IPS officer also alleged he was "harassed and tortured in devious ways" by various state institutions at the behest of the chief minister.
"Thus a self imposed death sentence by me should give you peace of mind, happiness and contentment and may this act result in sinful reactions which will cleanse you and awaken in other senior police officers some compassion and empathy which is sadly lacking today," Dutt's letter to Banerjee read.
"This act is a symbolic protest against the dirty games of ruling government meant to pick and choose honest, hardworking officers like me and Nazrul Islam IPS and destroy them systematically and make an example for others who are not servile/ subservient enough," it said.
Copies of the letter were also sent to some senior government officials, and have been accessed by PTI.
Though Banerjee could not be immediately reached for comments, Jyotipriya Mallick, the state's food and civil supplies minister, trashed the accusations.
"This is nonsense. There is no substance in it. We are not interested in the matter," Mallick said.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh, however, smelt a conspiracy behind Dutt's death and sought a speedy probe to "unravel" the truth.
"I think there is a conspiracy behind this (Dutt's death). He has targeted the chief minister. A neutral probe must be initiated. I am sceptical about how much the state police will be able to do because they are under tremendous pressure from the top level. I demand a neutral agency conduct the enquiry," he said.
Mukul Roy, once a close Banerjee aide who quit the party and joined the BJP, sought a CBI probe into Dutt's death.
"This is a very sensitive matter. A very senior IPS officer has accused the chief minister of abetting his suicide. I am not very confident that the state police will be holding a fair probe. I want a CBI investigation," Roy told PTI by phone from New Delhi.
The officer had a chequered past. He was suspended for nine months in 2010 for "conduct unbecoming of an officer" after a constable's wife accused him of torturing her husband as he spurned his "sexual advances".
He also faced disciplinary action in 2012 over alleged financial irregularities.
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Teen killed after being hit by private bus in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): A 16-year-old boy was killed after he was allegedly hit and run over by a private bus while crossing a road here on Friday, police said.
The deceased was identified as Varun, they said.
According to police, the accident occurred around 11:30 am on the Hennur–Bagalur main road.
The boy who crossing the road on foot when he was allegedly struck by the bus and came under its rear wheel, leading to his death on the spot.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Following the incident, family members and locals staged a protest by blocking the Hennur–Bagalur road, resulting in heavy traffic congestion in the area.
The driver of the bus has been detained, and further legal action is being initiated, a senior police officer said, adding that an investigation is underway.
