KOLKATA: In a bizarre turn of events, a civic body in West Bengal has registered an FIR against four dead persons and has asked them to report at a local police station. All the four have been charged of illegally filling up a pond.
While the action of Chandernagore Municipal Corporation in Hooghly district has stunned the residents of Bindotala, the families of the four have alleged foul play by local politicians. They also claimed to have death certificates of the four.
In the complaint, the civic body has alleged that the four have filled a pond to facilitate construction their houses. As filling up ponds and wetlands is crime in the state, the four persons have been booked under the relevant sections of the law. The families, however, have alleged that the filling of pond was done by a builder, whom the civic body is trying to a save. They have also alleged a ploy to divert attention and let the builders carry on with their illegal activities on a pond which belongs to a local temple.
The four accused are Kalichandra Bodak died in 1970, Bipinbihari Bodak in 1973, Durgacharan Bodak in 1981 and Rangalal Bodak some four years ago.
Durgacharan's grandson Sujit Bodak said, “We were shocked by the complaint. When I approached police, they did not help me and asked me to go to the local councilor who too avoided me. We are being unnecessarily harassed.”
The local residents have also claimed that a few politicians are helping builders and developers to fill up of ponds and wetlands for commercial use.
CPI(M) leader Gopal Das said, “What kind of a probe! Those living men who are illegally filling up wetlands to construct apartment blocks are not being booked by the municipal authorities. Instead dead men are being resurrected and charged with crimes.”
Municipal commissioner Ujjal Sengupta said, “The complaint was registered after an proper investigation. But, if these men are dead already, we will take steps to rectify this mistake.” When approached, Ram Chakraborty, mayor of the corporation said, “I am not aware of such happenings and can comment only after inquiring about it.”