The Bengal government has pressed the CID in the investigation in connection with the death of a 26-year-old event management professional in West Burdwan even after the police failed to arrest anyone even 36 hours after the alleged drunken chase in an SUV that led to the crash of her car.

“There are differences in the opinions of the victim’s family and friends and preliminary findings of the police.... Though the district police have been investigating the case, several things have cropped up in connection with the death. Therefore, the CID has stepped in to uncover the reason behind the mishap,” said an IPS officer.

In the early hours of Monday, Sutandra Chatterjee, 26, a resident of Chandernagore in Hooghly, who ran an event management company and managed a dance troupe, died after her car hit a concrete wall, off NH19 in Panagarh, Kanksa, and overturned.

Sutandra’s mother, Tanushree Chatterjee, along with the driver of her dark blue hatchback, repeatedly claimed that their vehicle was being chased by drunken men in a white SUV.

However, their claim came under scrutiny after the Asansol–Durgapur Police Commissionerate released CCTV footage from several strategic locations, which showed a hatchback behind the SUV.

A police source said they were making every effort to arrest Bablu Yadav, a local scrap dealer, who was allegedly driving the SUV along with four other intoxicated youths. These individuals were accused of hurling abuses at Sutandra before the accident.

A police team visited Bablu’s residence and godown in Panagarh twice since Monday and spoke to his family members and employees, but he remained untraceable till Tuesday evening. A police source stated that Bablu has a criminal background and was out on bail in a car theft case from last year in West Burdwan’s Budbud police station area.

“We are actively searching for Bablu Yadav. We have obtained certain clues about his current location. We will nab him and those who were traveling with him soon. As of now, we have confirmed that Bablu Yadav was driving the SUV,” said Suman Jaiswal, Assistant Commissioner of
Police (Kanksa).

Bablu and his companions reportedly fled the scene, leaving the SUV behind, after Sutandra’s car crashed into a grocery shop and a public toilet before overturning, killing her on the spot. Empty liquor bottles and plastic glasses were found inside the abandoned SUV, which had dent marks on both sides.

Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against unknown persons travelling in the SUV.

A team of CID officers visited Kanksa police station to examine the two vehicles involved in the accident and reviewed the FIR. Sources said the team gathered relevant information independently from various sources and also inspected the accident site and the highway stretch.

“There may be a controversy over which car was chasing the other. However, the bigger question is: what exactly happened that led to the chasing or overtaking? Understanding what occurred before the accident is crucial to solving the case and bringing the culprits to justice,” a police officer said.

The victim’s mother, however, remained firm in her statement, accusing the police of protecting those responsible for her daughter’s death.

“Instead of arresting those who chased my daughter in a drunken state, the police are busy shielding them. They are trying to frame the incident as a mere race between two cars, in which my daughter was unfortunately killed. Why has no one been arrested yet?” said the grieving mother Tanusree, surrounded by neighbours at her home in Chandernagore on Tuesday.

The incident prompted Opposition parties to criticise the Trinamool government and raise concerns over women’s safety in the state.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul visited Sutandra’s mother in Chandernagore on Tuesday and accused the Mamata Banerjee government of regularly using the police to cover up crimes against women.

“What is the point of Lakshmir Bhandar (scheme) when women are not safe in Bengal? Instead of preventing crimes and ensuring women’s safety, the police are preoccupied with managing factional disputes within Trinamool. There was no highway patrol team to assist Sutandra when she was trying to escape from drunken men,” said the
BJP MLA.

The BJP staged demonstrations outside Kanksa police station and in Chandernagore, Hooghly, on Wednesday, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the young woman’s death and accusing the state government of failing to ensure women’s safety.

A member of the West Bengal Commission for Women (WBCW), Sujata Pakrashi Lahiri, also visited Sutandra’s mother at her Chandernagore on Tuesday and collected information about the incident.

Amar Das, an associate member of Abhaya Manch, visited Sutandra’s family as well. “We met the grieving family members of Sutandra Chatterjee and expressed our condolences. We also assured them of all possible support in their fight for justice,”
said Das.

Later in the day, CPM state secretary Md Salim and youth leader Minakshi Mukherjee visited the Chatterjee home.

Trinamool leaders, however, questioned the accuracy of the family’s claims that the drunken youths had harassed Sutandra.

“We do not support anyone involved in harassing or abusing women. However, the police’s preliminary investigation suggests that the incident was a result of reckless overtaking. We urge everyone not to jump to conclusions before the facts are fully established,” said TMC leader Kunal Ghosh.