Body of eight-year-old found in Kestopur pond

Kolkata, May 31 Tension gripped Kestopur after the body of eight-year-old Pintu Roy, who was missing since last Wednesday, was fished out of a pond on Saturday morning. Locals alleged that Pintu was hit on his head with bricks and bamboo sticks by two of his friends who also pushed him into the pond. The police, however, insisted that the child accidentally fell into the pond after a scuffle with his friends.

According to the police — Pintu (8), a class-II student of Kestopur Jadunath Madhabchandra High school, and his friends Prabir (8) and Kapil (10) — were playing near the pond. “Later, they started throwing mud at each other, after which the boy accidentally fell into the pond. No complaint has been lodged at the police station so far,” said an officer of the Baguiati police station.

Pintu’s mother, however, said: “On Wednesday, Pintu went near the pond and told me he would be back for his meal. He did not return. When I asked his friends whether they had seen him, they did not tell anything.”

The police, meanwhile, interrogated Pintu’s friends to know whether they had pushed him into the pond. Police sources said that both Prabir and Kapil confessed that they had an altercation over an issue after which a scuffle broke out between them; however, no evidence was found to conclude that they are guilty. There was an injury mark on Pintu’s head.

Also, North 24-Parganas additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Sugata Sen said they do not suspect any foul play behind Pintu’s death. “A case of unnatural death has been initiated,” he said. The body was sent for postmortem.