Third death in Howrah gas attack

TNN / Feb 12, 2008, 02:26 IST

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Two brothers have lost their entire family within a span of four days in a macabre gas-explosion plot allegedly hatched by their landlord Kashinath Jaiswal.

HOWRAH: The morgue of Howrah General Hospital and the crematorium in Shibpur have turned into regular haunts for Hrittesh (18) and Dilesh Shaw (15). The brothers have lost their entire family within a span of four days in a macabre gas-explosion plot allegedly hatched by their landlord Kashinath Jaiswal.
Their father Ram Bahadur Shaw lost his battle to severe burns on Monday morning.Mother Kewla Devi had died on the spot when their one-room house was gutted in the blast last Friday and sister Deepika succumbed to her burns on Sunday. But there seems to be a glimmer of hope for the teenaged brothers. The authorities of their school have come forward to help the orphans.
The brothers are students of Maria��s Day School at Howrah Maidan. Hrittesh, who is to take his ICSE examinations on February 18, is among the toppers in his class. His brother��s Class-IX annual examinations are slated to begin from February 29. Today, the brothers have no home to call their own and have no inkling about where the next meal is going to come from. Dilesh lost all his books and notes in the fire that snatched away his parents and sister. Fortunately for Hrittesh, his books are intact. He had been staying away from home for the last three months �� ever since Jaiswal��s associate Amarnath Prasad allegedly disconnected power supply.
Amitava Dutta, director of Maria��s Day School, has promised to take care of the boys �� not only now, but till they have completed their education and are in a position to take care of themselves.

��Their father went through a lot of difficulties to provide them a proper education and the boys were doing him proud. I am looking for a place for them and will take charge of their education and other requirements. It does not matter if Dilesh does not sit for his annual examinations, which are internal, but Hrittesh will lose a year if he does not appear for ICSE. He is in a bad shape and if necessary, I shall get him treated by a psychologist,�� Dutta said.
A large number of students from the school had turned up when the boys were performing the last rites of their mother and sister on Friday. ��What the boys need now is an opportunity to build their
future,�� Dutta added.

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