Overview
- On Wednesday, Oct. 14, an SUV registered to former Trinamool Congress MLA Sukumar Mahata struck an e‑rickshaw at Boyarmari in Sandeshkhali and both vehicles plunged into a roadside pond.
- Local residents rescued the occupants and took them to Minakhan Hospital where doctors declared Mujibur Rahaman, 47, and Mahima Bibi, 50, dead and other passengers were treated or referred to Kolkata hospitals.
- Police say Mahata was not in the SUV, the vehicle’s driver fled and remains absconding, and investigators from Nazat police station are probing how the crash occurred.
- Mahata has denied being present and said two e‑rickshaws were racing, while eyewitnesses and police are examining the vehicle, statements and the scene to determine if speed, driver error or a fault played a role.
- The crash has drawn local political attention and scrutiny because the SUV is linked to a former MLA who was questioned in a 2024 probe and was not fielded by the party in 2026, raising calls for a full and transparent investigation.