Furious over leave rejection, Bengal government employee stabs 4 colleagues
What's the story
A West Bengal government employee was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly stabbed at least four of his colleagues at the Karigari Bhavan office in Kolkata's Newtown area. The accused, identified as Amit Kumar Sarkar, is an employee of the technical education department. "Following a tiff with his colleagues over taking time off, he attacked them with a knife and then tried to flee," a senior police official said.
Denied leave
Sarkar's denied leave request leads to violent confrontation
The injured, identified as Jaydeb Chakraborty, Santunu Saha, Sartha Late and Sheikh Satabul, were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two of them are said to be in critical condition. A security guard was also injured in the attack by Sarkar. After the stabbing spree, Sarkar was seen walking through the city streets with a blood-stained knife.
Viral footage
Sarkar's public display of violence captured on video
A video of Sarkar walking around with a bag on his back and another in his hand has since gone viral on social media. In the clip, passersby can be heard asking him to drop the weapon as he warns them not to approach. He finally surrendered after a traffic police officer asked him to drop the knife and was taken into custody by Bidhan Nagar Police.
Interrogation revelations
Sarkar claims colleagues' indecent comments about father
During police interrogation, Sarkar alleged that his colleagues had passed indecent comments about his father, which further aggravated him. The Indian Express, citing sources, reported that Sarkar had been frustrated as he couldn't take a leave for several days despite needing time off to look after his ailing mother. "Even when his mother was ill, he had appealed for leave, but that request was also declined. We will question his higher officials," the paper quoted a senior police officer.
Ongoing investigation
Police investigate Sarkar's mental health and weapon source
Police are now probing where the knife used in the attack came from and have registered a case against Sarkar. Authorities are also investigating if mental health issues contributed to this incident. "After a preliminary inquiry, we came to know Sarkar was angry as he had not gotten any leave for several days," a senior police officer said. Further investigation is underway to ascertain all allegations and circumstances surrounding the event.