KOLKATA: A shopkeeper electrocuted two children suspecting them of stealing Rs 100 from his shop at Odlabari tea garden in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal on Tuesday. While the two children have been admitted to Malbazar sub-divisional hospital, the accused has fled the area.
Sources revealed that petty shopkeeper Salib Oraon was worried since the past few days after he lost Rs 100 from his shop at Babujote Line in the tea garden. His prime suspects were 8-year-old Kapil and 13-year-old Avinash Oraon who often played near his shop.
Based on his suspicion, Salib tried to extract information from the two children by interrogating them at his shop a few days ago. However, the two said they had not stolen his money and had no clue about the whereabouts of the Rs 100 in question.
Local sources said that Salib was frustrated over his loss and was sure that Avinash and Kapil had stolen his money. Accordingly, he gave high-voltage electric shocks to his two suspects on Tuesday as punishment after which the victims fell on the ground and lost consciousness.
Soon, the news of the electrocution spread throughout the tea garden and the workers gathered in front of Salib’s shop. Seeing the crowd amassing in front of his shop, accused Salib fled the spot. Some believe that Salib got scared that he might be lynched by the mob for his action. The victims are undergoing treatment at Malbazar sub-divisional hospital. Police have launched a manhunt for the accused.
The incident highlights the acute poverty in the tea gardens of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts in specific and the entire Dooars region of north Bengal in general.
More than 100 have died of starvation in the region after 32 tea gardens shut down since 2015, rendering almost 60,000 people jobless thus causing a spike in child and women trafficking and migration of former tea-garden workers to stone quarries in neighbouring Bhutan, where labour exploitation is rampant.