Calcutta HC directs SSKM to conduct autopsy of arrested BJP activist

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed a team of SSKM Hospital doctors to conduct the autopsy of a BJP activist from Debra who died a day earlier, 14 days after being arrested in connection with a poll-related clash.
Justice Amrita Sinha directed that Sanjay Bera’s (42) postmortem be held in the presence of his wife, the petitioner, who had alleged foul play by police, and the entire process be videographed.
The HC told the West Midnapore SP to submit a report by the next hearing on June 26. Justice Sinha sought production of the magisterial report and also directed police and jail authorities to preserve CCTV footage of the police station and the Midnapore and Presidency correctional homes. The court directed the state to hand over Bera’s arrest memo to the petitioner’s counsel by Thursday.
Arguing that Bera had been tortured, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that he had no injuries on the day of his arrest but his relatives saw a bandage on his head the next day.
Advocate general Kishore Datta submitted the sequence of events to argue Bera was never in police custody. He said Bera was arrested at 10.55pm on June 4 at home and produced in court the next day. The AG pointed out police did not ask for his custody and so, the court remanded Bera in judicial custody and he was sent to Midnapore correctional home.
Datta said Bera fell while entering the correctional home on June 5 and jail doctors referred him to Midnapore Hospital at 5.25pm. He was released on June 8 but readmitted after jail doctors examined him on the same day. Bera was in hospital till June 10, following which he was sent to Presidency correctional home. The AG submitted that after an examination at the OPD of SSKM Hospital on June 11, Bera was at Presidency correctional home before being hospitalised again on June 14 till his death on June 18.
The AG cited an SSKM report that stated Bera suffered from breathing trouble because of a history with drugs and alcohol. Datta also objected to the complaint that police hadn’t served the arrest memo to the family, saying it had been served to Bera’s brother-in-law.