Pall of gloom over victims’ families

Nadia/Purulia/Burdwan: With three lives lost in a momentary lapse of reason, the Chhattisgarh fragging has cast a pall of gloom over three Bengal families.
For one of the grieving families, the knowledge that it was their own who shot dead five of his fellow soldiers — including two from his home state, one in Purulia’s Arsa and another in Burdwan’s Nadanghat — was an added shock.Masudul Rahman of Nadia’s Nakashipara is suspected to have started the shooting spree before turning the gun on himself.
“Whenever he came home on leave, he spent a long time with us. This would often stretch to two months. The last time he was home was around 10 months ago. I am surprised to hear that he did this out of rage. He was always level-headed and never got angry. He was to come home this month. I spoke to him a few days ago and told him I had found a good match for him and would get him married if he agreed,” said Marfat.
Relative Shakil Biswas said he did not believe Masudul’s sudden, inexplicable outburst happened over not getting leaves. “I don’t think it was because of leave, as he often came home on vacation and never faced problems getting leave. It must be some other issue.”
At Khukramura village in Purulia’s Arsa, parents and siblings of ITBP constable Biswaroop Mahato were stunned when a civic volunteer knocked on their door with the news that Biswaroop Mahato was killed, by a fellow soldier. “We are shocked,” said his elder brother, Ashish Mahato. “We spoke to him just on Tuesday evening. He asked about our parents and the rest of the family.” Ashish said the Arsa police station’s officer-in-charge and another policeman reached out to them and spoke to their father, Bhim Mahato. “They assured us of extending all help in bringing home Biswaroop’s body,” he said. “We demqand a thorough probe into the incident.”
Biswaroop, he said, had joined ITBP in 2014 at Rajasthan. He was initially with the 47th battalion and moved to the 45th battalion later.
Bimal Dey, the brother-in-law of the Burdwan ITBP victim, Surjit Sarkar, said: “On hearing the shocking news, I immediately boarded a train from my home town, Azimganj, with my wife Pinky, Surjit’s only sibling. We are heading to Pinky’s parents’ home at Uttar Srirampur in Burdwan’s Nadanghat. I still cannot believe it. I confirmed the news after calling up the ITBP. I was told that Surjit, a constable with the force, was shot dead by a colleague who hails from Nadia. I will meet my in-laws late at night and then head for Chhattisgarh on Thursday.”