Kolkata: Nearly two weeks after former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay received a death threat through a letter that was sent to his wife, the Kolkata Police Monday arrested three people — a doctor, his driver, and a typist — in connection with the case.
According to Kolkata Police officers, the doctor, identified as one Arindam Sen, works at the KPC Medical College and Hospital in Jadavpur. He would get the threat letters typed by one Bijoy Kumar Kayal, and his driver, Ramesh Shaw, would drop them at the post office.
After examining the CCTV footage of locations where the letters were delivered, the police zeroed in on the typist and then found the driver, officials said.
“On 25 October, he (Sen) got seven letters dispatched from the Sarat Bose Road Post Office. One of these seven letters was addressed to the vice chancellor of Calcutta University. After preliminary investigation into the letter trail and interrogation of the doctor, it appears to us that he has some mental health issues,” said Murli Dhar Sharma, joint commissioner (crime), Kolkata Police.
The remaining six letters were sent to Director Medical Education, Science Secretary, Principal of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Principal of Calcutta Medical College, Principal Secretary of West Bengal government, and one Julie Bhattacharya.
“We have got these letter trails from the post office. But we have to collect all the letters. As of now we have got the letter sent to the NRS Medical College. In that letter, he wrote about an upcoming agitation by the doctors and mentioned impending deaths of two young doctors in the hospital premises,” said a second senior officer.
Police to consult psychiatrists for further probe
The investigators have also spoken to the authorities at the KPC Medical College and Hospital. The police officers added they would also consult psychiatrists and counsellors during further investigation.
“We are taking help from experts and trying to analyse why a doctor would write such letters to strangers or influential people in the society predicting their death. The letters don’t say that he would kill anyone, it only mentions about the impending death, it is more like predicting death,” added the second police officer probing the case.
The sender’s name and the addresses were chosen randomly by the doctor. The driver and typist were aware of the content, but remained quiet for money, the officer added.
On 26 October, Bandyopadhyay’s wife, Sonali Chakraborty, who is the vice chancellor of Calcutta University, received a letter that read: “Your husband will be killed. Nobody can save the life of your husband.”
The letter was sent through speed post to Chakraborty’s office. The police had then said the sender’s name and address mentioned on the letter are fake.
(Edited by Neha Mahajan)
Also read: Alapan Bandyopadhyay — Not just an IAS officer, but a trouble-shooter Mamata can’t do without