Adhir: Victim?

Behrampore, Sept. 23: Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury today began a fast in jail to protest against “mental torture”.

The body of a lifer who died of a heart attack yesterday was allegedly kept next to his bed at the jail hospital for almost a day despite requests to remove it.

Congress MLA Abu Hena, who called on Chowdhury today, said the body of Ekramul Sheikh, 45, was left there on purpose until 4pm today.

“The jail authorities did not remove the body to mentally torture our MP. He could neither sleep nor have food,” Hena said.

The body was removed following the intervention of district magistrate Subir Bhadra, who has ordered a probe.

Jail superintendent Kalyan Pramanik said the body had to be kept there for a long time as an inquest had to be conducted. “We could not remove the body until the magistrate’s inquest was completed.”

Chowdhury is in Behrampore Central Jail since September 7 in connection with the murder of a CPM panchayat leader in Burdwan’s Mourgram in September 2003.

He was shifted to the jail hospital after he complained of ailments in court. A jail official said Chowdhury had been allowed home-cooked food.

Local Congress MLA Manoj Chowdhury said: “Our leader will fast unto death.”

Chowdhury had also launched a hunger strike one-and-a-half-years ago when he was in the jail in connection with a double murder case.