Late filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak’s granddaughter Aditi Ghatak died on Sunday afternoon. She had met with a accident a road accident during a long drive with her friends on the outskirts of Kolkata on Friday. Her family has, however, alleged murder.
Aditi, a first year English (Honours) student of South Calcutta Girls’ College, stayed at Chetla. On November 30 evening, she met her friends at a restaurant in Lake Market area. Her friend Alisha Poddar recalled, “I was there with her. Two more girls were also present. One of them was Tanya. But I don’t know the other girl. Aditi’s friend Gyanjit Patar arrived there with his car. I asked Aditi not to go but she did not listen to me. As they all left in his car, I left for home at 5.45 pm.” She added, “At around 8 pm when I called up Aditi, her cellphone was switched off.”
At around 11 pm, Aditi’s family learnt that she was injured in an accident after the car rolled into a canal at Kheyada in Sonarpur. “We were told that only Aditi got stuck in the car in the canal water for two hours. All of her friends, travelling with her, are absconding,” said Aditi’s mother Sanhita. When the family rushed to the spot no one was found. Aditi was admitted at Ruby General Hospital in critical condition. Her family then lodged a complaint with the Tiljala police station against Gyanjit.
“We are yet to find the missing link. My daughter was a very good swimmer. Besides, how could she only got stuck in the car if the accident had occurred? The youth is a criminal and had no driving licence,” Ms Ghatak alleged.
At around 12.45 pm on Sunday, Aditi succumbed to injuries at the private hospital off EM Bypass. “We suspect a trap was laid to drug her on the rear seat. A conspiracy was hatched for her death. She hardly used to go out and mostly stayed at home. Aditi would have turned 21 on December 9 this year if she had been alive,” Ms Ghatak added.
A family friend of the Ghataks alleged that Gyanjit’s guardians offered money for the withdrawal of complaint.
“On Saturday night, his father called me and Aditi’s mother and offered any amount between `10,000 and `15,000 if the complaint was withdrawn. But we refused,” he alleged.
State urban development minister Firhad Hakim rushed to the hospital. He said, “If any member dies, the victim’s family may have suspicion about the cause of death. I spoke to the police officers. The police will investigate the incident according to the complaint.” Meanwhile the body was sent for post-mortem. The case on murder charge was transferred to the Sonarpur police station from Tiljala police station. Gyanjit of Kasba is absconding.