Police directed to start abetment to suicide case against ZP

A court on Friday directed the police to initiate a case of abetment to suicide against East Burdwan Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati and Trinamool Congress leader Shampa Dhara and three others in connection with the death of a 26-year-old man last month.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Ratan Kumar Gupta directed the officer-in-charge of Khandaghosh police station to initiate the case after the victim's mother moved the court.

Her counsel Swapan Bandyopadhyay submitted that Pabitra Kumar Ghosh committed suicide by consuming pesticide at his home on January 14, a day after he was allegedly called to the Zilla Parishad office and assaulted by the associates of Dhara, who also destroyed his mobile phone.

Bandyopadhyay claimed that Ghosh was engaged in a romantic relationship with Dhara and he left his job in a private firm outside West Bengal after getting assurance from her that she would arrange an employment for him in the state.

However, she later broke off the relationship and wanted Ghosh to return her photographs and some documents to her, the petitioner said