Bankura Officer's Death: Investigation Under Way

Kolkata, October 31: Investigators in West Bengal's Bankura district are struggling to explain the mysterious death of a police officer. The body was found on a railway track on Friday, and the death was confirmed a day later.

Police identified the deceased on Saturday as Jayanta Pal, a Bankura police inspector assigned to the Detective Department. He was hit by the Arankak Express on Friday evening near Ketharhanga, on the outskirts of Bankura town.

The post-mortem was carried out at Bankura Sammilani Medical College on Saturday afternoon. A preliminary report was expected by Saturday evening and is seen as crucial to resolving the case.

Even before the report, several issues have come into focus. Residents once crossed the tracks at a nearby gate. About a year ago, railway officials closed that gate for good and built a subway. Railway police levy heavy fines on people who cross the line through a closed gate.

That raises a central question: why did Jayanta cross the tracks rather than take the subway? Investigators are also puzzled that the body was found about 50 metres away from the gate. They are asking why he would have moved further along the line if he had crossed in a rush or for another reason.

Eyewitness accounts have added another layer. One witness, Sudam Sheet, said he was walking from the station crossing towards Ketharhanga on Friday afternoon. He too crossed the line instead of using the subway because he was in a hurry. When he saw the Arankak Express coming towards Bankura station, he noticed a man stumbling and then jumping in front of it. He had no idea the man was a police officer. Sheet said the death was not an accident and that he was fully convinced it was suicide.

Jayanta's family includes his 80-year-old father, his wife and a son. Despite the witness account, they are not ready to accept suicide as the cause. His sister-in-law and son-in-law travelled to Bankura after learning of the incident.

Jayanta's son-in-law, Rajeev Mukherjee, said that at least he did not believe it was suicide. He said both of them were involved with a local club, and that Jayanta would have told them about any serious problem. He added that only Jayanta's wife could say whether he had been suffering from depression.

According to police, Jayanta had begun working at Bankura police station 45 days earlier. After three or four days, he took 40 days of leave citing illness. He returned to the station on Friday to resume duty, and the incident happened after that.

Investigators are trying to establish his mental state. They are questioning his family and colleagues and checking his phone.

Jayanta had been involved in controversy before. On February 20, 2025, he shot himself in front of the Ghoshpara petrol pump in Howrah, but survived. He was then officer in charge of Chanditala police station in Hooghly district, and a woman was with him at the time. His conduct, including being in another district without permission from senior officers, had caused considerable confusion. He was suspended for a few days after that incident.