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A 54-year-old woman from Baranagar died at RG Kar hospital early on Sunday amid allegations of torture by family members, prompting police to arrest one of her two sons and both daughters-in-law.
Police said Gita Karmakar, an arthritis patient, had lodged complaints with Baranagar police station thrice in the last six months alleging torture by family members. She had pointed out that elder son Ashish was the instigator.
Each complaint led to Ashish’s arrest but on every occasion, Gita would withdraw her complaint and take him home.
After Gita’s death on Sunday, her brother Saroj Roy lodged an FIR, on the basis of which younger son Manoj, his wife Mampi and Ashish’s wife Soma were arrested. Gita’s husband Ananda and Ashish, who works in a jewellery shop in central Calcutta, managed to escape.
The arrested trio have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences.
“A probe revealed that the family’s three-storey house on BK Mitra Road had been built by Ananda’s father Gobinda. After Gobinda Karmakar’s death, Gita became its owner. Neighbours are alleging that the property was the reason behind the family feud,” said an officer of Baranagar police station.
On Saturday, the family allegedly started beating up Gita from the morning. Later, they allegedly left the house, locking her in. Gita was able to draw neighbours’ attention in the evening and threw duplicate keys from the third floor. “We opened the doors and gave her warm milk. Since her pulse was very weak, we took her to RG Kar hospital, where she was admitted in the cardiology department. We alerted her sons but they turned up only at 10.30pm,” said Sanjib Neogi, a neighbour of the Karmakars.
“We came away when the sons reached. This morning, we heard that she had passed away at 2am,” Neogi added.
Trouble broke out on Sunday morning when the family brought the body home. Local residents pelted the house with stones.
“We pacified the mob and took away the body,” said a police officer.
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