A campaign for justice by Railway engineer, Saurabh Kumar's family and friends in Kolkata prompted the Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu to order a probe.
The unnatural death of an engineer of South Eastern Railways posted at Kharagpur in Bengal was not investigated for 10 whole days. But a campaign for justice by his family in Bihar and friends in Kolkata has prompted the railway minister to intervene and forced the police to finally file a case of murder.
When 31-year-old Saurabh Kumar's body was found on September 22 in his Kharagpur rail quarters, it was partly decomposed, had head injuries and blood all over the place. Police had filed an "unnatural death" case. The post mortem report was inconclusive, more tests were ordered but no police action was taken.
It took a campaign by friends and family to draw railway minister Suresh Prabhu's attention.
"Order complete police investigation into sad death of Saurav. Culprit will be punished. No one will be spared. Condolences," he tweeted today.
The police have now registered a murder case.
An engineering graduate from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Sindri near Dhanbad, Mr Kumar worked as a store supervisor. According to his friends, he was an upright person and may have fallen foul of local rail contractors and mafia.
"For the last two-three months Saurabh had been telling us he was under pressure at work. We were worried," said Saurabh's father, a resident of Vaishali village in Bihar's Hajipur.
His college friend Amreesh, who works in Kolkata, and is among those behind the Justice for Saurabh campaign on social media, said, "Saurabh's brother Bipin was also saying he was unhappy at Kharagpur because he was getting threats from people who wanted him to pass tenders."
Another friend, Ashish, said, "We thank the rail minister for ordering the probe into Saurabh's death. But 10 days have gone, evidence may have disappeared. We will not rest till a CBI probe is ordered."
Mr Kumar's family in Hajipur district has been distraught, as justice has eluded them for 10 whole days. Now, they have some hope that the truth will be out.