Bengal: BJP, Congress seek action as boy ends life over chips theft charge

Kolkata: Days after a 12-year-old boy allegedly died by suicide after being accused of stealing a packet of chips from a store and made to do sit-ups by the shopkeeper in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, both BJP and Congress demanded action against the guilty.

BJP workers, a sizeable number of them women, staged a demonstration outside Panskura police station donning chips garland, while a Congress delegation visited the boy's residence and consoled his family on Sunday.

The shopkeeper, a civic volunteer of the West Bengal Police assisting in traffic control and some other law enforcement activities, remained untraced as demands rose for his arrest on the grounds of torturing the child, having humiliated him in public over theft charge without any proof, and being indirectly responsible for his death.

"We demand the immediate arrest of shopkeeper and civic volunteer Subhankar Dikshit who was responsible for the death of the boy. We demand apology from senior police officers who were responsible for the lathicharge on aggrieved villagers demonstrating before the house of Subhankar with the boy's body, and also seek compensation for the next of kin of the deceased," a local BJP leader said.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Subhankar Sarkar, who met the parents of the boy during the day, pledged support to the family and said police should have not harassed innocent villagers who became agitated on hearing about the news of the boy's death and justifiably demanded action against those responsible.

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said strict action must be taken against the civic volunteer.

A section of civic volunteers is now getting embroiled in acts of extortion, intimidation, muscle flexing and hooliganism under the rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the leader of opposition in the state assembly alleged.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, "It is a tragic incident which has shaken the conscience of every citizen. However, it should not be politicised." "We hope police will conduct a fair and speedy probe into the incident and we don't wish a rerun of such an incident," Ghosh said.

Krishendu Das, a class 7 student, allegedly lifted a packet of chips from a shop in Panskura area on Thursday evening after he failed to find the shopkeeper.

He had called out "uncle, I will buy chips" repeatedly without getting any response and finally left the shop allegedly with one packet of chips lying on the footpath before the shop.

He was allegedly chased by Dikshit who came back to the shop soon afterwards, slapped and asked to do sit-ups in full public view, a police officer said quoting an FIR lodged by the family.

Das's mother was asked to come to the spot and she also scolded him and slapped him while the boy claimed he had picked up the chips packet lying in a heap before the shop and would have come to pay later.

He even offered to pay immediately, apologising for lifting the packet without the consent of the shop-owner but Dikshit accused him of lying.

A sulking Krishendu Das then returned to his house with his mother, bolted the door of his room from inside and did not open it.

After some time, his mother along with neighbours broke open the door and found him frothing from the mouth with a half-empty pesticide bottle lying on his side, the officer said, adding that a note purportedly scribbled by him in Bengali was found lying on the side.

"Maa, before leaving, let me proclaim that I am not a thief. I did not steal. Uncle (shopkeeper) was not around as I waited. While returning, I spotted a 'Kurkure' packet lying on the road and picked it up. I love 'Kurkure'," the note read.

He was taken to a hospital and admitted to the ICU but died soon afterwards.