Woman dies after speeding car overturns on highway in West Bengal, police dismiss eve-teasing claims

Panagarh (WB): A 27-year-old event management professional was killed in a road accident in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district after her car overturned while racing with another vehicle on Monday, police said.

Initially, there were claims that harassment by eve-teasers in another vehicle led to the speeding of her car causing the accident. A senior officer later dismissed the claim and stated her car was following the other vehicle.

The victim, identified as Suchandra Chattopadhyay, a resident of Chinsurah in Hooghly district, was travelling with three colleagues to Gaya for a function when the accident took place at Panagarh. Two of the other passengers suffered serious injuries, police said.

Earlier in the day, a senior police officer told PTI that the car had just refuelled at a petrol pump when a white vehicle with five occupants began following them and, as soon as they got onto the highway, “the men in the other car started making lewd remarks towards Suchandra and driving recklessly.” In the evening, however, the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate dismissed these claims, stating that there was no "eve-teasing" or chase involved. Instead, they said it was the victim’s car that was following the other vehicle.

“There was no eve-teasing in this case. We have spoken to the driver and the co-passenger of the victim's car. Technical evidence from CCTV footage shows that the victim's car was actually chasing the other vehicle. It started when the victim's car overtook the other vehicle, leading to an accident,” said Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police Sunil Kumar Choudhary.

“The other vehicle then overtook the victim’s car and proceeded toward Panagarh Rice Mill, where its occupants reside. The victim’s car continued chasing them, and while taking a turn, it overturned,” Choudhary added.

One of the victim’s colleagues, Mintu Mondal, initially alleged before the media that after refuelling at a petrol pump, a group of drunken youths in the white vehicle followed their car, making lewd remarks and bumping into their car multiple times.

This, according to Mondal, forced them to speed up, eventually leading to the accident. He further claimed that the white vehicle fled the scene after the crash.

The police said their investigation, backed by CCTV footage, contradicted these allegations.

Choudhary stated that CCTV footage showed the victim’s car trying to overtake the white vehicle and then following it.

At one point, the white vehicle entered an alley, and while attempting to follow it, Suchandra's car lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn.

"We have questioned the driver and the person who lodged a complaint and after going by their statements, we could say that there was no incident of eve-teasing," Choudhary said, adding that no one was arrested in connection with the incident.

The IPS officer also criticised the media for running "incorrect news".

"This is a motivated campaign. This is nothing but spreading canards. We are going to check the motive behind it," he said.

Following this, the victim’s mother raised concerns over the investigation and accused the authorities of shielding the culprits.

She travelled from Chandannagar to Asansol and filed a complaint at Kanksa Police Station.

“My daughter is dead, and the people in the white vehicle are still free,” she said.

The police seized both vehicles and launched a probe.

The incident triggered sharp political reactions, with the BJP slamming the law and order situation in the state.

“Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, women in Bengal are unsafe everywhere—be it hospitals or highways! A woman was harassed and chased by miscreants on the highway, leading to her tragic death," BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said in a post on X.

The allusion to 'hospital' is apparently a reference to the RG Kar hospital rape-murder incident of an on-duty medic last year.

Majumdar alleged that West Bengal has become a living hell for women. "Every day, horrific crimes against women are reported, yet the government remains silent, shielding criminals instead of delivering justice!” He added, “Mamata Banerjee came to power claiming to protect 'Maa, Mati, Manush,' but under her regime, women are raped, chased, murdered, and silenced. Where is her so-called ‘woman CM’ image now? Enough of TMC’s Jungle Raj! Bengal demands safety, justice, and freedom from fear!” Responding to his accusations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh urged the opposition not to politicise the matter.

“The police are doing their job. They are investigating the case, and we have full faith in them. Those who are questioning the law and order situation under the TMC rule should look at the conditions in BJP-ruled states and recall the poor law and order situation during the Left rule in Bengal,” Ghosh said.