Kolkata: Ugly politics erupted over the death of 24 year old Arup Bhandari of Howrah who passed away on Monday morning after five days in coma, resulting from an assault by five men who he had reprimanded for sexually harassing a few women.
Since the morning, there was a stream of Trinamool leaders visiting the bereaved family. Among them, minister Arup Roy, mayor Rathin Chakraborty and a number of councillors.
While they were allowed to meet the family, a group of women claiming to be neighbours refused to let the media in.
Later in the day, as friends and family waited for Arup's body to arrive from hospital after a post mortem, some Trinamool supporters put up a banner outside his house describing Arup Bhandari as a Trinamool worker.
But angry neighbours tore down the banner saying, "When did Arup become a trinamol worker? You just put up a banner and he becomes Trinamool?"
Things got worse when Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury arrived. For almost 30 minutes, he was not allowed to meet the bereaved family.
"This is anarchy," he shouted. "In the presence of the police, the Trinamool refused to let me enter the house of Arup Bhandari."
There was more. "The ruling party is trying to force the family to dilute the case against the five accused by offering them money," Mr Chowdhury alleged.
Some sources claimed Arup Bhandari's father had been called to a local club dominated by the Trinamool, offered money and medical fees if he reached some "understanding" with the accused.
Sources said that Arup's father refused. This was confirmed later by Congress's Adhir Chowdhury, who quoted the mother saying the family refused to accept anything.
"I don't believe it," said Trinamool's Arup Roy when asked about the allegation.
Residents of the locality took out a procession on January 28 to go immerse the idol of Goddess Saraswati in the Hooghly. A group of drunken men joined the procession and started harassing some women. That's when Arup Bhandari, and his friend Abhijit Bose protested and stopped the harassment.
Hours later, when the two were returning home, the five drunken men allegedly attacked them with wooden planks, and an iron chair. Arup Bhandari was injured severely on his head. He slipped into come and never recovered.