Shyam Das, Asansol: Intense tension gripped the Salanpur police station area in Asansol following the tragic road death of Santosh Layek, a resident of Dhaguri village under Salanpur police station. Demanding strict punishment for the driver and owner of the killer vehicle and adequate compensation for the family, grieving family members and angry local residents staged a protest by placing the body in front of the gate of the Salanpur police station. While this incident has cast a shadow of grief over the area, questions have also started to be raised regarding law and order and the role of the administration.
According to family sources, Santosh Layek left his home on his motorcycle for daily chores around 8 PM last Sunday. When he reached near the Milakala crossing in Salanpur, a speeding black Verna car hit his bike violently from behind. Family members claim that Santoshbabu died on the spot due to this horrific collision. Later, he was rushed to a local hospital in a private ambulance, but doctors declared him dead.
Following this sudden death, the deceased's family and neighbors expressed intense anger over the role of the police. They alleged that when family members reached the hospital after receiving a call from the Salanpur police station, Santoshbabu's lifeless body was lying there, but no responsible police personnel or administrative official was present. This irresponsible behavior of the police multiplied their anger manifold.
In another sensational allegation, the deceased's family claimed that there were two women in the killer car at the time of the accident and they were driving under the influence of alcohol. The family alleged that the on-duty police had detained the two women along with the car when they tried to flee immediately after the accident, but later they were released for mysterious reasons. They stormed the police station in protest of this biased behavior.
The protesting public and the family have a clear demand that the owner of the vehicle must immediately appear at the police station to discuss the matter with Santoshbabu's family and arrange for respectable financial compensation. They have warned that until a satisfactory resolution of this incident is reached, the body will not be allowed to be removed from the police station premises.
This movement created a tense atmosphere and severe excitement in the entire Salanpur police station premises. Additional police forces have been deployed to avoid any untiring situation. On the other hand, the police stated that all allegations made by the family are being examined with utmost seriousness and the family members have been requested to lodge a written complaint. The administration has assured legal action subject to a thorough investigation of the incident.
