Second death in Howrah gas attack

TNN / Feb 9, 2008, 04:24 IST

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Twelve-year-old Deepika Shaw, who was critically injured in the macabre LPG 'murder plot' in Howrah on Thursday, died of burns.

HOWRAH: Twelve-year-old Deepika Shaw, who was critically injured in the macabre LPG 'murder plot' in Howrah on Thursday, has died of burns. Her father Ram Bahadur Shaw is still clinging to life at Howrah General Hospital.
Deepika, a Class-VI student of Salkia Hindi School, was sleeping on a cot in their rented room with her mother Kewla Devi on Thursday night.Their bed was right above the drain outlet through which landlord Kashinath Jaiswal and his associate Amarnath Prasad had allegedly pumped cooking gas into the room.
When it exploded, the mother and daughter had no chance. Kewla died on the spot while Deepika and Ram Bahadur were critically burnt.
Deepika's brother, 15-year-old Dilesh, who was also burnt in the blaze, recovered enough on Friday to talk to police. His statement has led investigators to suspect the Shaws' house was bolted from outside. Dilesh recalled waking up to see his father in flames, struggling hard to open the door, police say.

Dilesh told police about the alleged conspiracy hatched by Jaiswal, a promoter, and Prasad, who runs a tea stall near the 276 GT Road plot, where the incident occurred.
"Jaiswal had promised to build Prasad a shop if he helped in getting the tenants ousted. About three months ago, my father had a major spat with Prasad. Some time later, Prasad disconnected power supply to the compound," Dilesh said.
Police say Jaiswal had bought the building, which has 12 tenements, seven years ago and immediately started trying to oust the tenants to build a highrise on the plot. But the residents, particularly Shaw who had lived there for 40 years, resisted.

Police suspect Jaiswal hired Prasad to burn down the complex. They probably selected Ram Bahadur's room because he had had several run-ins with them. On Friday, the chief judicial magistrate remanded Jaiswal and Prasad in police custody for nine days. Both have been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy and arson.
Local residents claim that Jaiswal wields clout, both political and otherwise. Police were initially reluctant to register a case against the promoter, they say. Had the gas cylinder not been spotted by a fireman, it may have been passed off as an accident.

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