A tragic accident in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district claimed the life of 27-year-old event management professional Suchandra Chattopadhyay. She was killed while attempting to escape from eve-teasers who were chasing her vehicle on Sunday night. The incident occurred around 9:30 PM near Panagarh, as she and three colleagues were travelling to Gaya for an event.
According to police, Suchandra, a resident of Chinsurah in Hooghly district, was travelling with three other passengers when the attack took place. After refueling at a petrol pump, the group noticed a white car with five occupants following them. The situation quickly escalated when the men in the other car began making lewd remarks and driving aggressively, trying to intimidate the victims.
“As soon as they got onto the highway, the men in the other car started making inappropriate comments towards Suchandra and began driving recklessly,” said a senior police officer. The assailants’ car then dangerously forced Suchandra’s vehicle toward a road divider, causing it to overturn.
Suchandra, who was seated in the front passenger seat, suffered fatal injuries in the crash. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. Two of her colleagues sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.
The five men in the white car fled the scene immediately after the accident, abandoning their vehicle. Police later seized both cars and filed an FIR at Kanksa police station. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the men were likely under the influence of alcohol while driving, with traces of alcohol found in glasses inside the abandoned vehicle.
The police have identified the owner of the car as a resident of Panagarh and have launched a search operation to locate the suspects. Suchandra’s body has been sent for a post-mortem as investigations continue.
(With PTI Inputs)