Man left to die on Kolkata street
5/1/2008 4:20:18 PM
An
old man --Kadam Prasad Panth -- who was found lying on Kolkata's Netaji
Subhas Road died after he lay unattended for close to three and a half
hours. According to sources Kadam Prasad Panth lay on the road gasping
and trembling after getting off a bus. The man got out of the bus
without his entire luggage. The conductor and passengers who were in a
hurry drove away with some of his belongings. No help arrived for Panth
until it was too late. Two police stations refused to move a finger and
instead of doing what was necessary to help argued over whose
jurisdiction the man was found in. By the time help came it was too
late.
Early on Wednesday, Panth took a route 52 bus from
Howrah station after returning from Nepal. He was headed to Ghoshpara,
his local address. Mid-way, he started feeling dizzy. Trembling and
gasping, he stumbled out of the bus at the Gouriya Math stop on Netaji
Subhas Road. He didn't even have the strength to carry his luggage, and
the conductor and other passengers were in a hurry. The bus moved on
with his boxes. The incident took place at about 6:30 in the morning.
Locals
on their way to the bazar, the owner of a book stall a few shops away
and the fish vendor on the opposite pavement saw him sitting on his
haunches, panting, but continued with their chores. A curious crowd
gathered around him and debated his age, occupation and condition. But,
none of those present offered the gasping man any help.
News
later reached the nearby Bantra police station. The police reached the
spot at 8 am and dispersed the crowd and streamlined the traffic, but
didn't touch the old man. Instead, they informed the Shibpur police
because the spot where he lay was not under their jurisdiction.
The
two police stations argued for about two hours until word reached SP
Niraj Kumar Singh. At his prodding, the Shibpur police reached the spot
at 10 am, only to realize that Kadam Prasad was dead. The man was
identified by an identity card and a train ticket found in his pockets
and the body was taken to Howrah General Hospital.
The Howrah
superintendent of police has ordered an inquiry into the death to find
out whether there was any lapse on the part of the policemen.
As
for the locals, they said they didn't help fearing harassment. Kartick
Nag, a local said, "We thought of taking the old man to a hospital, but
were afraid the police might harass us if he died enroute."
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Shame on Indian police and public.