Tragic Road Accident in Salt Lake: Family Accuses Police Action Delay

Kolkata, Aug 14 (PTI) The family of a biker who tragically lost his life in a road accident in the Salt Lake area has accused the police of failing to take prompt action to arrest the driver responsible for the incident. Despite having the registration number of the car involved, the driver remained untraced over 12 hours after the accident. The family claimed that when they attempted to file a complaint at the police station, they were denied entry. Instead, the police reportedly filed the complaint themselves, obtaining the signature of an illiterate family member. Allegations were also made against the police and fire services for arriving late at the scene and not adequately securing the accident site, especially with the heavy rain complicating the situation. According to police, a case has been lodged with charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and assault on police personnel. "There is no arrest so far, and the investigation is ongoing," an officer from Bidhannagar police commented. A forensic team is anticipated to visit the site for further investigation. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening when a biker, identified as food delivery boy Rahul Mondal from Basanti, was burned to death after his motorcycle was struck from behind by a private car and caught fire. The collision not only resulted in the biker's death but also led to the car hitting several other vehicles, causing injuries to numerous people who were then taken to a nearby hospital. The severity of the accident caused unrest among locals, leading to a protest where some individuals allegedly started throwing stones at the police. In response, officers had to use tear gas to manage the situation near Salt Lake's New Bridge area. Witnesses reported that there was minimal effort from the police to rescue Mondal, who was caught between railings before the fire consumed him. It was the locals who managed to safely extract passengers from the involved vehicle.