DAYS AFTER a 38-year-old worker from West Bengal’s Malda district was found dead in Jaipur, from what appears to be acid burns, the police have registered a case of unnatural death under CrPC Section 174, while his family alleges he was murdered and has demanded a CBI probe. Sakir Ali, 38, from Swarupnagar village, under Chanchol police station of Malda, was found dead in his room in Jaipur’s Painter Colony on Tuesday. After postmortem, family members and friends took the body to his village in Malda on Friday and performed the last rites. Sakir worked as a labourer at a tent house in Jaipur. He was in Rajasthan for the last 10 years, family members said. On Saturday, his brother Jakir Ali said, “The body had injury marks and acid burns. police are trying to dub it as suicide, but we believe our brother was murdered. We want a probe by CBI. We do not think Rajasthan police will be able to find out the truth.” He also said, “Ten or 12 people were staying with Sakir in the room. How come none of them saw anything? How come no one was present in the room at the time? They are all on the run.” Mahaveer Prasad, SHO of Shastri Nagar police station in Jaipur, said they have registered a case of unnatural death and expect to learn more about the death once the forensic report is in. Prasad said a bottle was found in the room which contained acid-like substance. “Preliminary investigation has ruled out murder. We have learnt that he was an alcoholic, and it is possible that he mistakenly drank from the bottle that contained the acid-like substance,” the SHO said. Samiul Islam, who lives in the room next to the one Sakir lived in, confirmed that Sakir “drank a lot” but added that he had never created any trouble because of it. Dr J S Nirwan, who conducted the postmortem, said, “The cause of death as ascertained from postmortem appears to be from burning caused by a corrosive substance. The exact substance will be known only after the FSL report arrives.” “There were severe internal burns in the stomach, which had spilled to the abdominal cavity.” Islam, also from Malda who drives an electric rickshaw in Jaipur, said around 15 or 20 Bengali labourers lived in two rooms in that house, and all of them have left after Sakir’s death. SHO Prasad said, “A forensic team has inspected the room and viscera samples have been sent to the forensic laboratory.” TMC, Congress and CPI(M) representatives visited the family home in Malda on Saturday.
