Chandana Das: Died in fall while resisting dacoits

Speeding up the investigation into last week’s dacoity-and-death in Kanchrapara, police conducted nightlong raids in various parts of North 24-Parganas and Nadia and picked up five criminals.

“Acting on tip-offs, we picked up five youths from New Barrackpore, Naihati and Chakdah. We are interrogating them to establish their involvement in the case,” said a district police officer.

Early last Thursday, a gang of 15 decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh from the Gandhi More residence of Bimal Das. During a scuffle with the dacoits, Chandana Das, Bimal’s wife, fell off the third-floor balcony and died.

The cops still do not know whether Chandana was pushed off or if she toppled over while resisting the dacoits.

According to investigating officers, the first breakthrough came on Sunday night, with the arrest of Surya Goldar at Chimili, in Nadia’s Chakdah. “We netted him along with an aide. A firearm and a few rounds of live cartridges were found on him,” said the official.

In a simultaneous raid, Sukumar, believed to be Surya’s aide, was picked up from Naihati. The police refused to divulge details of the other three picked up during the raids.

“It appears that Surya was the brains behind the robbery. We are still looking for two of his aides,” he added.

According to the officer, the cops are looking for a middle-aged man, who was engaged in a painting job in the Das household a month ago and got friendly with the security guards and Bimal’s employees.

“We are sure of the involvement of an insider in the Das household and so, the arrest of the house painter is critical to the case,” added the official.

In another move, the officer-in-charge of Bijpur police station, Shib Kumar Banerjee, was removed from his post on Monday.