Hindu Hotel Owner Beaten to Death Over a Trivial Incident
A hotel businessman has allegedly been beaten to death over a trivial incident in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur. Police have detained three people in connection with the incident. According to local residents and police sources, the incident is being viewed as another case of mob violence.
The deceased hotel businessman has been identified as Liton Chandra Ghosh (55). He was a resident of the Chandaiya area of Kaliganj upazila and the owner of ‘Boishakhi Sweetmeat and Hotel,’ located on the Barnagar Road adjacent to the municipality. The killing took place at his own hotel at around 11:30 am on Saturday.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kaliganj Police Station, Md. Zakir Hossain, said that three people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the incident. They are Swapan Mia (55), son of the late Tara Mia from Baligaon area; his wife Majeda Khatun (45); and their son Masum Mia (28).
According to preliminary police investigations, the accused claimed that a bunch of bananas had gone missing from their banana orchard. Alleging that the bananas were found at Liton Chandra Ghosh’s hotel, they went there and got into an argument. At one stage, the situation escalated into assault and clashes.
Family members of the deceased said that initially Masum Mia got into an argument and physical altercation with one of the hotel employees. Later, Swapan Mia and Majeda Khatun arrived at the scene and joined the violence. When Liton Chandra Ghosh came forward to calm the situation, he was also assaulted. It is alleged that at one point he was struck on the head with a spade, causing his death on the spot.
Dr. Imran Hossain, the duty physician at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex, said that Liton Chandra Ghosh was brought to the hospital dead.
Police said preparations are underway to file a murder case in connection with the incident. Local residents have described this tendency of taking the law into one’s own hands as alarming.
