Two businessmen from Rajasthan were allegedly beaten up by a mob in Behala’s Parnasree for selling them fake gold, resulting in the death of one of them, police said. The other victim is being treated at a hospital for injuries.
According to the police, Mahender Singh, 55, and Deepak Singh, 33, were found lying unconscious in a Parnasree neighbourhood early on Sunday. Mahender was declared dead at Vidyasagar State General Hospital, while Deepak was admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries.
Based on Deepak’s statement, police drew up a case and arrested eight persons and charged them with murder and attempted murder.
“During a routine night patrol near Dharmarajtola around 2.30am on Sunday, officers from Parnasree police station found an injured Deepak lying on the road. Upon being questioned, he informed the patrolling officers that he and his relative, Mahender, had been assaulted by a group of individuals known to them,” said an officer of Parnasree police station. Mahender was lying motionless a few metres away.
The two men were found in a residential neighbourhood on NG Saha Road in
Parnasree. The locality, however, has very few houses and appears deserted after
sundown.
A senior police officer said investigators did not find blood around Mahender’s body, which raised the suspicion that he was killed somewhere else.
“Notably, no blood was found at this location, suggesting that the place of discovery (of the body) was not the primary crime scene,” the officer said.
Further investigation, corroborated by Deepak’s statement, led the cops to the scene of the crime — a few yards from where the body was found.
“Based on Deepak’s statement, a complaint was lodged against some residents — Sanjib Karmakar, Biswajit Biswas, Chandan Ghosh and other unknown persons. During the investigation, it was revealed that the two businessmen, Deepak and Mahender Singh, had allegedly sold counterfeit gold ornaments to the accused persons. Upon realising the deception, the accused reportedly called the victims to a construction site associated with Biswajit Biswas, where both were assaulted, resulting in Mahender’s death. Deepak was severely injured,” said Rupesh Kumar, joint commissioner (crime) of Kolkata Police.
Eight persons, including those named in the FIR, have been arrested as of Sunday evening.
They have been charged with murder and attempted murder.
According to the police, an investigation was to ascertain the exact role of each of the accused.
The CCTV cameras of the area were also being examined for clues.
“Some of them are jewellers who purchased gold from the duo in Rajasthan. One of them is a developer,” an officer said.
Police said it was subject to investigation when the duo came to Calcutta from Rajasthan.
Some of the residents said neither did they know the two victims, nor those who allegedly beat them up.
“I don’t know these two men. Also, I don’t know who beat them up,” said a resident who refused to be named.
People in the neighbourhood where the crime has been reported said they did not see anything.
“We have no idea what happened last night. We close our doors and windows at 10pm every night. Beyond that, we don’t know,” said homemaker Manju Jana, who lives in an apartment opposite the construction site where the men were beaten up.
The neighbourhood is dotted with standalone homes and newly developed apartments, many of which are still empty.
A resident of the area who was unwilling to be named said the area becomes “extremely silent and quiet after sundown. Everyone is busy with their own lives. We do not have any type of community living here,” he said.
Police said they have seized the alleged fake gold ornaments. The scientific wing and the homicide wing of the detective department have been looped into the investigation.
Last June, at least two persons were allegedly lynched in a students’ hostel in central Calcutta and Salt Lake, respectively, on suspicion of stealing mobile phones.