The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday began probing the road tragedy that killed 26-year-old Sutandra Chatterjee in West Burdwan early Monday morning. As the investigation unfolds, conflicting narratives have emerged from the victim’s family and police regarding the circumstances of the accident.
Competing narratives
Initial accounts from co-passengers and family members suggested Sutandra’s car met with an accident while being chased by intoxicated men in an SUV. This version raised serious questions about law and order in the state, particularly regarding women’s safety, prompting criticism of the Mamata Banerjee-ledadministration.
Police investigators have presented a different account based on collected evidence. They released CCTV footage showing the blue Tiago that Sutandra was travelling in (seated next to the driver) following a white Creta while driving down Rice Mill Road in Panagarh earlyon Monday.
According to the police, evidence suggests that just before the accident, the blue Tiago hit the Creta on the driver’s right door, lost control while turning towards Rice Mill Road, swerved, hit a grocery shop and a public toilet before overturning.
“This probably explains the dent in the driver’s door on the white Creta. We are not concluding anything yet. But it is vital to understand how the Creta’s door has a mark of a mild collision,” said a senior police officer from the Asansol-Durgapurpolice commissionerate.
Complaint details
A handwritten complaint by Mintu Mondal, one of the occupants of the blue Tiago, has also surfaced. According to Mondal, the Creta hit their car on its left while attempting to overtake from the left on Rice Mill Road, causing the blue Tiago to overturn fromthe impact.
Ongoing investigation
Since Monday, investigators have been collecting evidence, including CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, to reconstruct the sequence of events involving both vehicles.
Officers believe the Creta did hit Sutandra’s car near Budbud, almost 20km from Pursha where the Tiago had stopped at a petrol pump for refuelling. “The CCTV footage from the petrol pump has reached us... and we are trying to assess the chronology of events since then,” saida source.
Women’s safety
For the police, establishing the exact sequence of events is crucial, as the incident — occurring about six months after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital— has again raised concerns about women’s safety.
“Sutandra’s co-passengers had said that when the Creta hit the Tiago, the occupants allegedly directed lewd comments at her,” noted a senior police officer, who questioned why the official complaint didn’t mention this.
Sutandra’s mother, Tanushree, claimed on Monday night that the police prevented the complainant from mentioning the harassment. She repeated this accusation on Tuesday and alleged that the police were trying to protect her daughter’s “killers”.
Forensic investigation
The police have consulted forensic experts to determine how only one occupant of the overturned vehicle died while others escaped largely uninjured. “The cause of the car overturning remains as crucial as the cause of Sutandra’s death,” an officer said.
“There could be several reasons why a car overturns,” explained a forensic expert. “Even an e-rickshaw can cause a car to overturn. An examination of the car will reveal whether there was a collision or if the vehicle overturned after losing control at high speed.”
The cause of Sutandra’s death remains under investigation. Officers emphasized the importance of recording separate statements from the car’s occupants and reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the accident.
“A car can overturn after hitting a road divider or a grocery store at high speed. That doesn’t necessarily indicate a collision with another vehicle,” the officer concluded.