IN THE aftermath of a car crash in Thakurpukur market on Sunday morning, which claimed a life and injured several other persons, a wave of questions and concerns is emerging from Tollywood — or the Bengali entertainment industry — and on social media.
A day after a vegetable vendor was mowed down and eight others were injured by a car allegedly driven by TV serial director Siddhant Das, the 35-year-old was sent to police custody till April 10.
On Sunday morning around 9 am, the director’s car allegedly veered into a crowded Kolkata market after he reportedly lost control of the wheels on Sunday morning. Sources in the police claimed that Das was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, and lost control of his black SUV while travelling from Bakrahat to Gariahat.
Following Das’ arrest, the spotlight has turned to the other occupant of the vehicle, who was released by the police. Actors and online commentators are questioning the reason behind the release and demanding clarity on the sequence of events leading up to the incident.
While the driver, Siddhant Das, remains in custody, police justified the other person being let off: “The investigation is ongoing and it is not over yet. Also, the other person who was in the car is not directly involved in the crime,” said a police officer.
Actor Rituparna Sengupta told mediapersons on Tuesday, “Drink and Drive is never the right thing… It is quite detrimental because driving needs more alertness and it endangers life.”
Swastika Mookherjee, another well-known Bengali actor, took to social media and expressed her shock and anger at the incident and the subsequent handling of the case. “I knew until now that drunk driving is a serious crime. If you get caught, the police don’t listen to anything. Any kind of power — you know who I am, you know whose son I am — this kind of attitude doesn’t work. You straight head to jail. In Kolkata, they say the police are very strict about this. That’s what I know and that’s what I have seen. Strict checking, no compromise, even if there are women in the car. The woman who fled the market hasn’t been caught. Who is she? Why was she released? A no-entry vehicle entered the street and killed one person, and the rest are in the hospital.”
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Mookherjee further questioned the “discrepancies” in the information surrounding the incident, stating, “There are so many reports circulating that it is difficult to know exactly how many (casualties were there). But is the death of one person a joke?”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd