Kolkata, February 27 – The family of Pulak Haldar, a final-year student at the Kalyani Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital and Medical College in Nadia district, West Bengal, whose decomposed body was found in his hostel room, has claimed that he was murdered.
The autopsy of the student's body will be conducted on Friday, and only then will the exact cause of death be determined, according to an investigating officer.
According to Sudhanshu Haldar, the deceased student's father, several injuries and cuts were observed on his son's body, which raised suspicions about a possible murder. "This is certainly not a case of natural death. We demand a thorough and fair investigation into this matter. I do not want the investigation into my son's death to end the same way as the gruesome rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in 2024," he added.
Uttam Mondal, a relative of the family, said that Pulak was not only a bright and studious student, but also very well-behaved. "I have also noticed injuries and cuts on his face and abdomen. Therefore, an assault on him before his death cannot be ruled out. I hope that there will be a fair and proper investigation into this matter," Mondal said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Pulak was last seen on February 20, when he went to the hostel canteen for a meal. Since then, he had not left the hostel premises and was not seen by fellow students or hostel authorities.
On Thursday (February 26), a foul smell was noticed emanating from his hostel room. When there was no response from inside, the door was broken open, and his decomposed body was discovered.
His family members have also informed the police that the last time they had a telephonic conversation with Pulak was on February 20, which is the day he went missing.
The family members have also claimed that in the past, Pulak had complained of facing bullying from other students during protests related to the RG Kar rape and murder incident. It was also alleged that he had academic difficulties, though these claims are yet to be officially confirmed.