Man behind tent collapse FIR flees home with wife and son

Midnapore: Until Tuesday, few people here had heard of Indrajit Hazam, a 46-year-old barber in Midnapore. He is now paying a price for his sudden fame, having left home with his wife and teenage son for an undisclosed location on Wednesday.

Indrajit had filed a complaint at Kotwali police station on Monday night following the tent collapse at PM Narendra Modi’s

rally

venue, which led police to register an FIR under IPC Sections 308, 337, 338 and 34 against the decorator and organisers of the event and unknown persons. The culpable homicide and causing grievous hurt charges are non-bailable offences.

When TOI reached Indrajit’s Golkuan Chowk home, an elderly woman who identified herself as his mother said the family had left home a few hours back. “Chhele ghore nei,” she said, refusing to give her name. Residents of the area said he had come to his roadside barber-shop near his home but shut it at 10am. No one knows his whereabouts since.

Indrajit, a Class VIII dropout, told TOI over the phone: “I do not work for any party. I was merely curious that a Prime Minister was coming to my hometown after 49 years. The Midnapore Collegiate grounds is barely 500m from my shop. I was standing just behind the tent when it collapsed.”

He refused to say what prompted him to lodge a complaint or whether he was prodded to do so by anyone. He only said he wasn’t in Midnapore. Police sources said his cellphone tower location proved he was at the rally site. Police said Indrajit’s statement would be recorded and, if required, he would be asked to reiterate his evidence in court.

Tapan Bhattacharya, a drugstore owner opposite the barbershop, was surprised when told Indrajit has lodged an FIR in the high-profile case. “He doesn’t explicitly work for any political party. On Monday, he had opened his shop for a while and then left. I didn’t see much of him after that.”

Advocate Subhojit Roy, BJP’s district general secretary, said: “It is evident at whose behest he lodged the FIR and why.” Trinamool Youth Congress leader Sourav Bose, who stays in the locality, said: “He has never been a TMC supporter.”

West Midnapore police superintendent Aloke Rajoria said: “A complaint has been lodged and an FIR filed. Further probe is on. We cannot elaborate at this stage.”