Kolkata Dey family deaths: ‘No relative willing to take responsibility of teen survivor'
Times of India | 27 February 2025
KOLKATA: World has turned upside down for 14-year-old Pratip Dey, who, till Feb 17, was busy preparing for his final exams. Losing his mother and two family members, he lies at NRS Hospital, his future uncertain over a week after the shocking events in which a grown-up member of the family tried to slash Pratip's wrist as well.
For the police, it is a challenge, with the legal process and the ground complications making them unsure where to send the boy once he is discharged from the hospital. No relative has reportedly visited the injured at the hospital.
Police say they had tried to rehabilitate him with one of his uncles, though there has been not much progress. Lalbazar said no formal attempt to look for a suitable shelter home for the child has begun yet. "Once his father Pranay and uncle Prasun recover, we will gauge his recovery. The moment they get arrested, we need to find options for the minor," said an officer.
Police commissioner Manoj Verma said the primary concern for Kolkata Police now is to help the child recover and "ensure no further harm". He is also a critical witness in the case.
Yet the last time the police repeatedly contacted other family members on Monday, when the minor was to be shifted to NRS Hospital, "no one was willing to even sign the transfer papers. Once we shifted him, we again asked every relative willing to take care of the child to contact us. None have reached out to us," said a police officer.
Over the past few days, the mentally distressed boy has been lying on a hospital bed, sometimes asking about his father and uncle. Amidst this turmoil, on Monday evening, the boy and his uncle Prasun were transferred from a Bypass hospital to NRS.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) contacted the investigating officer at Tangra police station regarding the child's care. Mahua Shur, the chairperson of CWC's Kolkata district, said: "Since the boy's father and uncle are alive, we cannot send him to a home right now. Unless his father - even if arrested - agrees to send him to a shelter home and not to a relative's house, we will not step in. However, we are monitoring the situation, and if no one takes responsibility, we will take necessary actions later."
Legal experts said that the relationship between the father and the child does not cease to exist even if he is undergoing trial or is convicted. Hence, in situations where the father is arrested and the mother is deceased, the next of kin or close relatives usually are expected to take care of the child. If such a thing doesn't happen, the lower court will decide as to whether the child will be sent to government home in case no relative steps in.