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| Riju Basak of La Martiniere for Boys |
The body of a Class XI student of La Martiniere for Boys was found in the Rabindra Sarobar waters on Friday afternoon, two days after he was reported missing.
Riju Basak, 17, did not return home on Wednesday after setting out on a city trip programme organised by the Goethe-Institut at Max Mueller Bhavan. His family last heard from him around 6.30pm on Wednesday.
“The post-mortem report confirms that he died of drowning. No injury mark was found on his body,” said Damayanti Sen, joint commissioner of police (crime).
Riju, the only son of Kajal, a businessman who deals in gems and runs a catering business, and Mitra Basak, lived with his parents at 10/1A Chaitanya Sen Lane, near Hind Fame. “I do not suspect anyone and I have no complaint against anyone,” was all that the grieving father could say.
According to police, Riju’s father lodged a complaint with Charu Market police station on Wednesday night after a stranger informed them over the phone that his bag, shoes, school blazer, tie, diary and identity card were lying near Bhavani cinema, off the Rabindra Sarobar Metro station and not far from the Sarobar.
“His mother had received the call and the family began a search in that area with his photograph,” said Arup Kumar Basak, his uncle.
Cops said Tarun Kumar Mali, a local resident, spotted Riju’s belongings on the concrete slab around a tree trunk. Mali found the cell number of his father from Riju’s school identity card and called him.
Riju’s body was found floating in the Lakes around 11.45am on Friday by some gardeners who work there. They alerted the security guard, who got in touch with the police. His wallet and wrist watch were missing.
“For two days we have been searching in the area. Today when we asked a security guard, he said a body had just been recovered. We rushed to the spot and found that the police had fished out the body and kept it on the banks. We knew it was Riju, he was in his school trousers but without a shirt,” said Arup Basak.
On Wednesday, Riju and two other students of the school had gone to Max Mueller to participate in a cultural exchange programme organised by the Goethe-Institut. He had been selected on the basis of an essay he wrote.
“After the programme, he had lunch there before going on a tour of the heritage sites. We later learnt from the officials of Max Mueller that he was dropped at Chandni Chowk Metro station around 5pm,” said Supriyo Dhar, the secretary of La Martiniere.
Instead of returning home, Riju apparently took a Tollygunge-bound Metro and reached Rabindra Sarobar where he met a friend around 7.40pm. “Since then, his movements cannot be traced,” said an officer of Charu Market police station.
Riju’s family members last contacted him on his cellphone around 6.30pm on Wednesday. “He said he would take a drop near Chandni Chowk Metro station and be home soon,” said Dipankar Basak, an uncle of the boy who had passed his Class X exams from Don Bosco, Park Circus, before switching to La Martiniere for Boys to study humanities.
“Riju was good in studies. He wanted to pursue his higher studies in Jadavpur University with an aim to crack the civil service exams,” said father Kajal.
“We are shocked and deeply grieved at what happened to an extremely talented boy. We are very confused as to what happened,” said Sunirmal Chakravarthi, the principal of the school.
Riju was quite popular in his peer group. “He was a great guy, very friendly. He won the Bengali elocution competition regularly and became the vice-president of the Readers’ Club, one of the most prestigious clubs in school,” said one of his classmates.
