Sun Dec 22, 2024 6:46 PM
Last updated: Sun Dec 22, 2024 6:49 PM
Star digital report
Sun 22 Dec. 2024 6:46 PM Last updated: Sun Dec 22 2024 18:49
Photo: CA Press Wing Faces/Facebook
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Photo: CA Press Wing Faces/Facebook
The Chief Counsel’s Press Department today disputed media reports that the recent death of a man at a crematorium in Natore was a case of communal violence.
They issued a statement via the Facebook page ‘CA Press Wing Facts’ after Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported the incident as a case of communal violence ‘without proper verification’.
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The Facebook post stated that PTI published the report on Saturday citing a video of ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das. Following PTI’s report, several Indian media outlets, including Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, published similar stories.
“No Bangladeshi authorities, Hindu leaders or relatives of the victims were quoted in this news,” the CA Press Wing said.
The CA Press Wing also quoted Hrishikesh Gauranga Das, a member of ISKCON Bangladesh, as saying, “It is not responsible to dismiss an incident as a communal killing without verifying it. Such exaggerated news can damage communal harmony in Bangladesh harm.”
Hrishikesh Gauranga Das confirmed that Tarun Kumar was not a member of ISKCON, and urged the media to gather information at the local level or through official channels.
Additional verification was provided by the CA Press Wing quoting Md Mahbubor Rahman, officer-in-charge of Natore Sadar police station, who said the victim Tarun Kumar, 60, was strangled when he tried to scream after witnessing burglars.
Some drug addicted thieves tried to steal bronze plates from “bhog ghar” crematorium, he added.
The CA Press Wing quoted community leaders from the crematorium who provided further clarification on the incident.
One community leader said the victim had been mentally ill for a long time and had been at the cremation site for several days.
Satya Narayan Roy Tipu, general secretary of Natore cremation committee, added: “Tarun Kumar was not a member of the cremation committee and he was not a priest. We do not believe there is any communal angle in this incident.”
According to the Facebook post, Natore Sadar police have not identified any religious or communal motive behind the murder and are also working to identify the thieves. They urged the public not to speculate on the motives behind the crime without solid evidence.
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