Govt worker dies in cash queue, CM asks Modi: Taking note?

Kolkata: A state government employee died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack while standing in a queue outside an SBI ATM near Bandel railway station in Hooghly district. The police said nobody extended a helping hand and 56-year-old Kallol Roy Chowdhury remained unattended for 30 minutes.

The government employee was returning to his Behala home in South Kolkata from Cooch Behar in North Bengal where he was posted. According to his elder brother Swapan Roy Chowdhury, he had got down at Bandel station from Paharia Express and was supposed to catch another train to reach Kolkata. However, upon seeing an SBI ATM outside the railway station, he decided to withdraw some money, the brother said.

“He stood in the queue at 7.35 am and became unwell after 20 minutes and fell down. My brother lied on the road for more than 40 minutes but nobody came to his help. Later, the security personnel posted at the ATM called a doctor who pronounced him dead and advised the security man to take my brother’s body to a hospital. I am shocked by the attitude of the people,” said the brother.

Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet, “Unfortunate death toll continues... This morning Kallol Roy Chowdhury collapsed and died in front of SBI ATM at Bandel station. My condolences to the bereaved family. Is Modi babu listening?”

The bereaved family had already been facing difficult times due to demonetisation. “He was having difficulty in withdrawing money. He was tensed at not being able to pay the school fees of our son. We cannot believe that he is no more,” said the victim’s wife, Seema.

Two elderly persons had died in South 24 Parganas Friday while standing in a queue to withdraw money.