Bengal mob protests with body of teacher who died in UP jail

A mob comprising a few hundred people Tuesday staged a demonstration with the body of a school teacher outside a police station here in northern West Bengal claiming that the man was murdered in judicial custody in Uttar Pradesh.

The demonstrators at the Bagdogra police station in Darjeeling district demanded opening of a murder case and a repeat post mortem examination of the body of teacher Ganesh Chowdhury.

A senior police officer said Chowdhury, a resident of Bagdogra, was employed as a teacher in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

He died while in judicial custody in Azamgarh after his arrest in a kidnapping case.

Family members of Chowdhury claimed he was in a relationship with the school owner's daughter. As the girl's father was against the marriage, the couple eloped.

Following a police complaint, the teacher's father and brother were arrested.

When Chowdhury came to know of this, he gave himself up to police and was sent to judicial custody, said his brother-in-law Lal Babu Kamath.

"UP Police claimed he fell ill while in judicial custody and was admitted to a hospital, where he died. But we know it was a case of planned murder as the school owner has close links with the police there.

"His father and brother are still under arrest. UP Police have threatened to teach them a lesson if we protest over the incident. We demand opening of a murder case and a repeat post mortem," Kamath said.

Siliguri police commissioner Jagmohan said a post mortem examination was already conducted in Uttar Pradesh, and a videography of the autopsy done.

"So, now we cannot conduct a post mortem on our own. But we have asked the family to submit a prayer on this to the Siliguri sub-divisional officer. If we get an order from the SDO, we can consider it," he said.