The death of a young nurse in Hooghly’s Singur has led to mounting tension and political unrest, as members of the BJP and CPM clashed with police over allegations of a cover-up. The nurse, who had only recently begun working at a private nursing home, was reportedly found dead under mysteriously circumstances.
The deceased nurse, a native of East Midnapore, had completed her studies and joined the nursing home in Singur just three days prior to her death.
Her father claimed the nursing home authorities informed the family on Wednesday that she had taken her own life inside the facility. “When we reached the nursing home, we did not find my daughter’s body. They claimed the police had taken it to the hospital. Why was the body moved before her family arrived?” her father questioned.
Police had initially transferred the body to Serampore Walsh Hospital in Hooghly for post-mortem examination. However, the family insisted the procedure be carried out at a central government hospital instead, such as AIIMS Kalyani or Command Hospital in Calcutta.
A murder complaint has since been filed by the father, challenging the police’s initial assertion that the case was a suicide.
Following the complaint, Hooghly Rural Police arrested Radha Gobina Ghatan, the nurse’s alleged boyfriend, from East Midnapore. Authorities also detained the owner of the nursing home. “Preliminary investigation suggests it was a case of suicide and that there were relationship issues. However, after the father complained, we registered a murder case and began a probe,” a senior Hooghly police officer stated.
Angered by the police’s decision to shift the body to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, BJP and CPM workers staged protests at the hospital. The situation escalated into physical confrontations when they attempted to block the vehicle transporting the body.
BJP Mahila Morcha state president Phalguni Patra condemned the police’s actions. “Police immediately claimed the girl had committed suicide. She had been studying in a southern state for the past three years. Interestingly, she did not commit suicide there, but allegedly did so within three days of joining her new job!” said Patra.
“This is exactly how the state government hurriedly shifted the body of the RG Kar victim. We protested because the nurse’s family wanted her body taken to AIIMS Kalyani or Command Hospital in Calcutta,” she added.
CPM Hooghly district secretary Debabrata Ghosh echoed similar concerns, accusing the police of trying to suppress the truth. “If the police were confident that it was a suicide, they could have easily conducted the post-mortem at Serampore Hospital. Why move the body to Calcutta? This smacks of foul play,” Ghosh remarked.
The conflict continued to unfold when BJP and CPM supporters once again clashed in front of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital upon the body’s arrival.
In response, Trinamool Congress leaders accused both the BJP and CPM of exploiting the incident for political gain. “A young woman has died, and police are investigating the case. They should be given time to complete their probe without political interference,” said TMC leader Kunal Ghosh.
