Maniktala lynching: Third suspect in net, cops explore extortion angle

KOLKATA: The death of Ratan Karmakar - a small-time garments trader from Adi Saptagram in Hooghly - was not just an isolated case of lynching. Sources said evidence was emerging that it was a case of extortion. A kangaroo court had demanded money from the victim and tried to establish it as in what they claimed was a theft.

Police sources on Saturday said calls were even made to his family members to either 'pay and settle the matter' or 'face the consequences'.It was after several minutes of deliberations that he was attacked with wickets and bats. "As there was no mob frenzy and the entire sequence of events look like it was planned, we may need to talk to legal experts if direct murder charges can be slapped," a police officer said.
The development came on a day that cops arrested a third accused, Soumen, involved in the case, even as the hunt for another key suspect Deep Sarkar has been intensified. "It is too early to interpret the motives," said DC (ESD) Debasmita Das.
The interrogation of the main suspect, Surajit Kundu alias Gaur, revealed that Ratan had willingly travelled with suspect Sarkar on the latter's bike along with a third person from the Hari Saha Haath.Sarkar had called him, but Kundu missed it as he was sleeping. It was the other arrested person Tapas who then came to his residence and asked him to report to the club. It was here that the five accused asked Karmakar to 'settle the case'. An hour later, they left the room with Ratan lying dead inside," a cop said.