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regular-article-logo Friday, 10 May 2024

BJP councillor grilled again in Asansol stampede case

Sources say a seven-member investigating team visited Chaitali’s residence on Monday and questioned her for nearly two hours

Abhijeet Chatterjee Durgapur Published 27.12.22, 03:00 AM
Police arrive at the residence of BJP councillor Chaitali Tiwari in Asansol on Monday.

Police arrive at the residence of BJP councillor Chaitali Tiwari in Asansol on Monday. Santosh Kumar Mandal

A police team headed by two assistant commissioners on Monday interrogated BJP councillor and Asansol civic body’s leader of the Opposition Chaitali Tiwari for the second time since Saturday to know about her role in the recent blanket distribution event in Asansol in which a stampede claimed three lives.

Sources said that a seven-member investigating team, including a woman officer, visited Chaitali’s residence at Ghanshyam Apartment around 10.50am on Monday and questioned her for nearly two hours.

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The police started a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against 10 persons, including Chaitali and her husband Jitendra Tiwari, also a BJP leader and former Asansol mayor. The case was started based on a complaint lodged by the son of one of the victims.

Chaitali had moved Calcutta High Court challenging the police FIR. The court directed the police not to take coercive action against her till January 18 but allowed them to interrogate her for not more than two hours at a stretch.

Sources said on Monday the investigating officers asked Chaitali how many coupons were distributed among beneficiaries to collect blankets. Sources said that the police also wanted to know from her from where the organisers procured the blankets.

The police asked her if the event was organised by her party or any religious organisation and what emergency measures, including medical arrangements, the organisers had taken at the venue.

Interrogators asked her why she did not ask the police if the event had their permission. The entire interrogation session was video recorded.

However, Chaitali remained silent to most, police said. The police had asked almost the same questions on Saturday but she had not replied to most. Her husband had then accused the police of mentally harassing her.

On December 14, two women and a minor girl died in a stampede at the blanket distribution event shortly after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who was the chief guest, left the venue.

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