༺In a tragic accident and another highlight of women's safety in West Bengal, a 27-year-old woman lost her life in a car accident after she was allegedly chased by drunk eve-teasers in another vehicle in Paschim Bardhaman district.
𒁃However, later on Monday another police officer claimed that this might be an incident of road rash and the woman was trying to overturn the other vehicle and lost control of the steering.
🍎The victim, identified as Suchandra Chattopadhyay, a resident of Chinsurah in Hooghly district, was travelling with three colleagues to Gaya for a function when the accident took place at Panagarh around 3 AM.
🗹Two of the other passengers sustained serious injuries, police added.
What Did Police Say?
🌺A senior police officer who has taken account of the witnesses and made a preliminary investigation said that the victim's car had just refuelled at a petrol pump when a white car with five occupants began following them.
🌠"As soon as they got onto the highway, the men in the other car started making lewd remarks towards Suchandra and began driving recklessly," the officer told PTI.
▨The vehicle then dangerously pinned Suchandra’s car toward a road divider, causing it to overturn.
🤪Suchandra, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, suffered fatal injuries. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared brought dead, the officer said.
ꦗAs soon as Suchandra's car met with an accident, the five occupants of the other car fled the scene, abandoning their vehicle.
💟According to PTI, the police have seized both the cars. An FIR has been filed at Kanksa police station, the officer said.
♕Preliminary investigations suggest that the five men were consuming alcohol while driving.
ꦍ"We found glasses inside the car with traces of alcohol," the officer said, adding that the owner of the vehicle has been identified as a resident of Panagarh.
🃏A search operation has been launched to locate the suspects, and Suchandra’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
Is It A Case Of Road Rash?
🌼Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Sunil Choudhury was quoted by PTI in a report where he claimed that there is technical evidence of the victim's car overturned while speeding and attempting to overtake the other vehicle.
𝔉Choudhury reportedly said, "We have technical evidence showing that the Hyundai Creta was ahead, while the victim's car was behind it. At one point near Panagarh, the accused’s vehicle turned into a bylane, and when the victim's car attempted to take a turn, it overturned."
⛦He also added that according to an investigation it has been found that the victim's car overtook the other vehicle and led to a minor collision. He said, "At one point, the victim's car stopped, allowing the Hyundai Creta to overtake it and move towards Panagarh. The victim's car then chased it until the Panagarh area."
♔Choudhary stated that CCTV footage showed the victim’s car trying to overtake the white vehicle and then following it.
💫At one point, the white vehicle entered an alley, and while attempting to follow it, Suchandra's car lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn.
🐽"We have questioned the driver and the person who lodged a complaint and after going by their statements, we could say that there was no incident of eve-teasing," Choudhary said, adding that no one was arrested in connection with the incident.
💃The IPS officer also criticised the media for running "incorrect news".
🙈"This is a motivated campaign. This is nothing but spreading canards. We are going to check the motive behind it," he said.
What Did Co-Passenger Say?
💝One of the co-passengers in the victim's car, Montu Mondal told India Today TV that they were chased by the recklessly driver car ahead of the accident. He said, "They kept chasing us on that road, repeatedly bumping into our car. Before we could get onto the national highway, our car overturned. Madam died there."
Reaction From Family
🧔Following this, the victim’s mother raised concerns over the investigation and accused the authorities of shielding the culprits.
ꦅShe travelled from Chandannagar to Asansol and filed a complaint at Kanksa Police Station.
🌼“My daughter is dead, and the people in the white vehicle are still free,” she said.
Political Slugfest
The incident triggered sharp political reactions, with the BJP 🔥slamming the law and order situation in the state.
ꦯ“Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, women in Bengal are unsafe everywhere—be it hospitals or highways! A woman was harassed and chased by miscreants on the highway, leading to her tragic death," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said in a post on X.
ಌThe allusion to 'hospital' is apparently a reference to the RG Kar hospital rape-murder incident of an on-duty medic last year.
🔴Majumdar alleged that West Bengal has become a living hell for women. "Every day, horrific crimes against women are reported, yet the government remains silent, shielding criminals instead of delivering justice!”
🐓He added, “Mamata Banerjee came to power claiming to protect 'Maa, Mati, Manush,' but under her regime, women are raped, chased, murdered, and silenced. Where is her so-called ‘woman CM’ image now? Enough of TMC’s Jungle Raj! Bengal demands safety, justice, and freedom from fear!”
ꦫResponding to his accusations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh urged the opposition not to politicise the matter.
👍“The police are doing their job. They are investigating the case, and we have full faith in them. Those who are questioning the law and order situation under the TMC rule should look at the conditions in BJP-ruled states and recall the poor law and order situation during the Left rule in Bengal,” Ghosh said.
