Kolkata: Left worker dies in hospital 4 days after Nabanna march clash – Times of India

KOLKATA: A 31-year old Left Front worker, who was injured in the police crackdown on demonstrators during the LF-Congress march to Nabanna last Thursday, died at a city health facility early on Monday.
Maidul Islam Midda’s death sparked protests, with SFI and DYFI workers hitting the streets and clashing with cops across the state, including Kolkata. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee described the death as “tragic” and promised compensation and a job for the bereaved Bankura family; the latter told television media later during the day that they would accept the government’s job offer.
Midda died around 2am on Monday. Protesters went berserk a few hours later at Moulali, chasing cops down AJC Bose Road in front of the SFI-DYFI headquarters at Dinesh Majumdar Bhavan. A few roughed up a Taltala policeman and tore off his uniform, prompting his colleagues to flee and take shelter at a local restaurant; traffic was disrupted on a two-kilometre stretch from Moulali to Nonapukur. A section of protesters scuffled with cops in front of the police morgue off Central Avenue, too, where the body was sent for a post-mortem probe. SFI state secretary Srijan Bhattacharya alleged cops had sparked off Monday’s Moulali trouble by making “offensive comments”.
CM Banerjee rang up CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty to condole Midda’s death. “Every death is tragic. I rang him (Chakraborty) because I felt sad. But how he died would be clear only after the autopsy. I have spoken to Kolkata Police commissioner Soumen Mitra and asked him to keep a tab on the process. The youth hailed from a poor family. His death cannot be compensated. But we are willing to support his family and give them a job,” she said.
The CM also wondered why the case was not reported to cops and why Midda’s family was not intimated. “Some questions are doing the rounds. Where was he from Thursday to Saturday before he was taken to a health facility? Why did rally organisers not intimate police after admitting him to a hospital? I have gathered that even his family was not intimated. They got to know of it only on Saturday,” Banerjee said.
CPM leader Chakraborty said the CM called him up at 9.30 a.m. “She talked about compensation. She also asked why the local police station had not been intimated. I told her cops beat up students and it was their duty to take the injured to hospital and inform the local police station,” he added. “Cops cordoned off SN Banerjee Road from two ends and beat up rallyists,” Chakraborty said, echoing participants who alleged that the thoroughfare was sealed from both ends (Moulali and Dorina Crossing) and so were the alleys leading away from it. “They have killed Midda,” he charged.
CPM leader and doctor Fuad Halim, who attended to Midda at a private health facility before he was shifted to another hospital, said the Bankura youth leader had “a massive heart attack after his kidney started failing because of assault on muscles”.
Joint commissioner of police (headquarters) Subhankar Sinha Sarkar said the detective department had started a probe into the death.
Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee condemned the attack on police on Monday. “Any death is unfortunate. The Left is desperate to get back the public support they have lost,” Chatterjee said.
DYFI leaders on Monday filed a general diary at New Market police station, alleging that Dipak Panja from Panskura was missing since Thursday’s rally.