Auto driver found dead under mysterious circumstances in Howrah's Panchla

Tension flared in Howrah’s Panchla area after the body of an auto driver, Pumpshendu Rai, was found in a roadside canal in Bauria on Sunday night. Rai, who usually drove on the Ranihati-Alampur route, was last heard from around 7 pm when he called his family and said he would return soon. An hour later, news of his death stunned the family.

While the police have registered a case of unnatural death and initially suspected an accident, the family strongly believes it to be a case of murder. They questioned the lack of damage to the auto and pointed to a recent confrontation over a battery purchase, during which Rai had allegedly received threats.

The situation escalated on Monday evening when angry locals caught a youth on suspicion, confined him inside a local club, and assaulted him. When police arrived to rescue the youth, they were attacked by the mob. Additional forces had to be deployed to control the chaos, and 25 people were arrested for attacking the police and inciting violence.

The Panchla and Bauria police stations are now jointly investigating the case. Officers are analysing postmortem findings and CCTV footage to determine the exact cause of death. Meanwhile, the community remains on edge, demanding justice and the immediate arrest of the real culprits.