Bardhaman Dot Com News Bureau
Burdwan, 12 Sep 04 :
The pilferage of government allotted rice under schemes for the poor at Diknagar, Aushgram has taken a new twist with suicide of Shantinath Chatterjee (47), a husband of a ration shop owner. Chatterjee committed suicide this morning by jumping infornt of UP Shantineketan express near Gushkara station. Local sources informed that, Chatterjee, a government employee transferred the licence of the M.R. shop in the name of his wife, Santana after he got the job.

A couple of days back, four of the villagers of Diknagar, mainly tribal, were hit by bullets while demonstrating against the panchayet leaders in protest of the pilferage of the allotted rice. Police rushed to area & had to fire six rounds to control the mob. Later enquiry reveled that, the injured were hit by bullets from local handmade pipe guns & not from that of police firing. The district CPIM subsequently expelled two of its leaders yesterday for their alleged involvement in the corruption. Police along with food inspectors conducted joint raided at the local M.R. shops suspecting them to be medium through which the `stolen rice' was sold to the open market. The M.R. shop of the Chatterjees were also raided & abnormalities were found in the stock register & other documents as reveled by a police official.

Although  passenger of the train & a local TMC leader, Nityananda Chatterjee informed that, Shantinath left a suicidal note naming two local CPIM leaders for the cause, the CPIM leaders denied the existence of any such note. The police is also yet to confirm the same. Nityananda Chatterjee said, "the local CPIM leaders called the deceased to a meeting & demanded Rs. 1,50,000 as a fine for maligning the party images by associating with the illegal rice trade." Achintya Majumder, a member of the CPIM district committee, however denied any existence of a suicidal note. "we have not been asked by the district administrative officials to help in identifying any member of ours" said Majumder. "As far our primary information, the deceased was rebuked today morning at a meeting of the M.R. shop owners' association for been associated with selling of rice grains sourced from unauthorised sources. This may have resulted in insult & depression which eventually may have guided Chatterjee to jump infornt of speeding train" added he.

The district magistrate, Subrata Gupta informed, "we cannot comment on this as a report have been asked from the SDO". The SDO, Burdwan (North) Gopal Chandra Ghosh said, "the police along with food controllers have conducted a joint raid at different M.R. shops in the area. Five shops were found with abnormal stock figures & documents. The food controller has been asked to show cause the dealers & initiate a case against them." He didn't comment on the suicide stating, "the matter is under police investigation & we can't comment on this before it completes."

The state vice-president of the BJP, Tapas Chatterjee however have appreciated the action taken by the police on the date of the demonstration. He said, "If the police haven't taken such action, it would have resulted in a more bloody wrath resulting cost of the lives of the villagers." He added, "the recovery of pipe gun splinters from the body of the injured have established the fact that the CPIM had stocked huge amount of ammunition expecting such a demonstration & the firing was made by CPIM supported miscreants from the panchayet building itself." A naxalite unit have affixed posters at the Burdwan hospital & the district magistrate office building protesting the Diknagar incidence.