HC asks cops to reinvestigate Burdwan ‘accident’ case

The Calcutta High Court directed the Jamalpur police station in Burdwan on Wednesday to reinvestigate the alleged accident case,whereby 10 people of a family died on October 7,2008.

Dilip Rakshit,brother of deceased Uttam Rakshit,filed a writ petition on March,2009 alleging that the police did not carry out the investigation according to an order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM),Burdwan and he suspected it to be a case of planned murder. On October 7,2008,10 members of the Rakshit family died near Jamalpur when their car plunged into the roadside canal from Chauberia bridge. The family was returning home after pandal hopping during Durga Puja. Interestingly,nothing happened to driver Sukumar Nandan. Justice Partha Sakha Dutta directed the Jamalpur police to reinvestigate the case. On February 11,2009,the police had already filed the chargesheet in a criminal court stating that it was an accident.

In the complaint lodged with the Jamalpur police station,Dilip accused Shankar Mallick,owner of the vehicle and the driver of murder.

According to Dilip,Shankar had insisted the family to take his vehicle for the pandal-hopping. He admitted there was a financial dispute between the family and Shankar,which was later settled.

On January 19,the CJM court in Burdwan had asked the police to reinvestigate the case. But Bijay Kumar Lahiri,Sub-Inspector of Jamalpur police station,filed a chargesheet in February stating that it was an accident.