Hooghly: Netas trade barbs over Haripal death

HARIPAL: The death of a 45-year-old woman in Hooghly’s Haripal on Saturday has triggered controversy, with BJP leader Mukul Roy claiming she was killed in police firing. “The victim was our party worker and killed in police firing,” he said.
However, Basanti Koley’s family and residents of Haripal’s Rajballavbati, mostly BJP supporters, said she collapsed while trying to rush home on seeing a large police contingent entering the village in the morning.
In the evening, minister Firhad Hak-im said: “I have spoken to police. Roy has said in Kolkata the woman died in police firing. He is spreading lies and disturbing peace in Bengal. BJP is distant from the truth.” He was speaking at a Trinamool Janasangjog Yatra.
Basanti’s son Dilip said: “My mother was standing near our house and kept looking for me after word spread that a police force had entered. She rushed home on sighting a force on patrol and collapsed while trying to enter the house. We carried her to Haripal primary health centre, where a doctor declared her dead.” BJP supporters later blocked the Haripal-Jejur Road with the body.
Dilip added: “My mother was worried about me as police went from house to house in our village after locals demonstrated against cut money outside Jejur gram panchayat upa pradhan Gopal Chakraborty on Friday.
Hooghly BJP president Subir Nag said: “Police are torturing BJP supporters in Haripal.” But ASP Kamonashish Sen said: “We had gone to the village to ensure peace after Friday night’s trouble. The woman was probably ailing. We are investigating her death.”