Man dies in Bengal after collapsing in ATM queue

A man died while standing in a queue in front of an ATM outlet in West Bengal on Saturday as the people's struggle for cash continued on the third day of the new month.

Kallol Roy Chowdhury, 52, collapsed in front of a State Bank of India ATM outlet outside Hooghly district's Bandel railway station, police said.

Roy Chowdhury, a resident of Behala in south Kolkata, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

What disturbed many was the indifference shown by people in the queue when Roy Chowdhury collapsed.

Locals said he was left unattended for at least 30 minutes before the security guard at the ATM called a doctor, who advised them to take him to the closest hospital, where he was declared dead. Photographs showed people resolutely sticking to their spot in the queue and looking across at Roy Chowdhury who was supine next to them.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later condoled the family of the deceased and indirectly blamed the Narendra Modi-led central government for the "unfortunate toll" in the nation post demonetisation.

"Unfortunate death toll continues... This morning Kallol Roy Chowdhury collapsed and died in front of SBI ATM at Bandel station," Banerjee tweeted.

"My condolences to the bereaved family. Is Modi babu listening?" she added.

--IANS

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