Mamata Banerjee’s convoy was caught in a blockade of Jessore Road by an accident victim’s family on Tuesday evening, prompting her to meet them, order an inquiry and promise compensation and a job.
The chief minister was returning to Calcutta from an anti-SIR rally in Bongaon when her convoy got stuck for 20 minutes in a traffic snarl in Barasat, caused by protesting relatives of a youth crushed under a mini-truck.
The protesters accused Barasat Medical College and Hospital of stealing one of the victim’s eyes during the post-mortem.
Mamata was originally scheduled to fly to Bongaon by helicopter but technical problems had grounded the chopper.
Trinamool leaders said that on March 16, 2015, the chief minister’s convoy had been blocked on NH12 in Ranaghat by local people protesting a nun’s rape.
Local people said victim Pritam Ghosh, who worked at a medicine shop, had been run over while crossing the road on Tuesday morning. Doctors at Barasat Medical College declared him dead and conducted the post-mortem.
His family later discovered that one of his eyes was missing and alleged that it had been “stolen”, the sources said.
The family initially protested inside the hospital, demanding an explanation. When that did not come, they blocked Jessore Road in front of the hospital, causing a huge traffic disruption across the stretch and on the connecting NH12 through the evening.
Police officers tried to persuade the protesters to lift the blockade, especially with the chief minister’s convoy approaching, but the family would not relent.
Told about the standoff, Mamata asked the officers to bring the family to her.
After listening to their complaint, she told officials: “Please check the allegation. If it really happened, there must be an investigation and the guilty should be punished.”
She added: “The video of the body will be kept so that the investigation can be facilitated. CCTV footage will also be seen. Those who committed the crime will be punished.”
Mamata promised the family compensation along with a job for an eligible member.
Barasat Medical College superintendent and vice-principal Abhijit Saha said: “Family members of the deceased have submitted a written complaint. We will form an investigation committee.”