Bail for slain TT player's father

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Dipak Bhattacharya, who is serving a seven-year prison term for killing his 17-year-old son Biswadeep, a national level table-tennis player, on January 8, 2007.
Dipak's only ambition was to see his son become a table tennis champion. When Biswadeep couldn't rectify some faults in his game on that fateful morning, Dipak threw a table tennis bat at him, hitting his abdomen and leaving him unconscious.The boy died within hours.
Dipak was convicted on March 30 this year and later sentenced to seven years' imprisonment under Section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code. The sentence was pronounced by the additional district and sessions judge of the fifth fast track court, Alipore. As many as 18 witnesses were examined by the trial court including Biswadeep's younger sister, who testified against her father. Bhattacharya appealed against the order in Calcutta High Court and prayed for bail.
Justice Asim Kumar Roy granted Bhattacharya's bail prayer after defence counsel Iqbal Hossain argued that Dipak had no intention to kill his son whose death, he argued, was accidental. As a father, the convict did everything he could to build his son's sporting career, the counsel submitted.
Justice Roy accepted the defence counsel's argument while granting bail and observed that the convict wanted his son to succeed in his career. The court also believed that the father was very interested in his son's career. So far, Dipak has served two years and nine months behind bars since his arrest a day after his son's death on January 9, 2007, the prosecution stated.
Throughout the case's hearing, Dipak's family had stood against him. After their son's death, Dipak was arrested on a complaint by his wife Papiya at Regent Park police station. Papiya alleged in her complaint that her husband brought immense pressure and even tortured his son in order to make him a table tennis player at the international level.
Contesting the trial court's judgment, Bhattacharya's counsel pleaded in the High Court that in spite of his modest means, Dipak arranged to have his son coached the game and also travelled with him wherever he travelled in the country for tournaments. The convict had even constructed a courtyard in his house and fixed a camera to rectify wrong movements his son made during practise, counsel said. He did all this to ensure his son had a bright career, counsel further argued. He also purchased a computer with internet connection so that his son could follow the international level players, the lawyer added.