Allegations of Abuse Surface at Hooghly Private Home; Four Arrested
Police in Hooghly district arrested four people, including the owner, secretary, and two staff members of a private home in Nabagram, on charges of physically abusing a 26-year-old woman resident. The woman lodged a complaint with the Serampore Women’s Police Station on Thursday, police officials said. Acting swiftly, investigators arrested the four accused on Friday. One of them has been remanded to three days of police custody by a Serampore court, while the others have been sent to 14 days of judicial custody. Among those arrested is the home’s secretary, Ajay Chattopadhyay, a former Trinamool Congress (TMC) member of the Nabagram panchayat. Police sources said Chattopadhyay wields influence locally through his connections in various institutions. Trinamool leaders moved quickly to distance the party from the controversy. Apurba Majumdar, the party’s Nabagram area president, said: “The victim is a bright young woman preparing for a government job. She had earlier brought complaints against the home to our office, and we advised her to go to the police. Ajay is no longer with TMC, though he still has influence. Whoever is guilty will face punishment.” Opposition leaders, however, seized the opportunity to attack the ruling party. CPI(M) leader Ashish Dey alleged: “TMC is now trying to wash its hands of responsibility. Ajay contested the Nabagram Cooperative Bank election as a TMC candidate and served earlier as a director on its board. He has long been an active TMC worker. The party cannot escape accountability.” BJP leaders also weighed in. Rajesh Rajak, BJP’s Nabagram mandal president, said: “We know Ajay well; he has multiple faces. He has been part of TMC, so naturally he had close ties with the panchayat. If the allegations are true, police must act strictly.” Some staff members of the home defended its owner, claiming they had never witnessed Ajay behave inappropriately. The case comes amid a spate of controversies involving private homes and rehabilitation centers in Uttarpara. On Friday, the head of a de-addiction center was bludgeoned to death by two residents. Months earlier, another resident died under suspicious circumstances at a separate facility. Repeated allegations have sparked fresh scrutiny of private institutions in the district.
Human Skeleton Found in Garbage Sparks Investigation in West Bengal Town
Sanitation workers in a town in West Bengal’s Hooghly district discovered a human skeleton wrapped in plastic while clearing a garbage bin on Thursday morning, prompting a police investigation. The remains — including a skull and other bones — were found in the Daspara area of Ward 27 under the jurisdiction of Chinsurah Municipality. According to local authorities, municipal workers noticed a black plastic bag stuck to a shovel as they were lifting waste. When they pulled at the bag, the knot at the top came loose, revealing human remains. Police from Chinsurah station arrived at the scene shortly afterward and recovered the skeleton. Officials said there are no surveillance cameras in the area and it remains unclear when or how the bones were dumped. “We have questioned residents, but no recent deaths have been reported in the area,” a senior officer said. “We are looking into the possibility that the skeleton was brought in from outside the locality.” Investigators are also exploring whether the bones might have been used for academic or medical purposes. “As the skeleton appears to be old, we are checking if it was part of an anatomical collection used for study,” the officer added. A forensic examination has been ordered to determine the origin and age of the remains.
