Mamata terms Sudipto's death as 'small and petty' incident

Bengal chief minister says it was an accident, and there was no police atrocity

With SFI supporters holding protests in West Bengal over the death of SFI leader Sudipto Gupta, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today stoked further controversy by terming the death as a "small and petty" incident.

"It is a small and petty matter. It was an accident, there was no police atrocity. You can see the post-mortem report," she said in Bangalore where she went to confer West Bengal's prestigious Vishes Sangeet Mahasamman award on eminent playback singer Manna Dey.

In sharp contrast, Joint Commissioner (Hqs) Javed Shamim appealed to the media not to jump to conclusion as the investigation was on.

"Our appeal to media is please don't jump to a conclusion because the way the entire incident is being projected is not right," he said, adding the preliminary autopsy report had suggested that the death was due to a head injury received from a blunt object.

Declining to comment on the cause of the death of the SFI leader, Governor M K Narayanan said, "I don't make any comment ... Don't fuel unnecessary speculation."

The Opposition CPI(M) and the Congress criticised Banerjee for jumping to a conclusion as unwarranted.

"The police said when investigation is on don't jump to any conclusion, but she has reached a conclusion," senior CPI(M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra, who is the Leader of the Opposition, said.

"Such comments are unwarranted and we reiterate our demand for a judicial inquiry into Sudipto Gupta's death," he said.