Bengal youth beaten up for protesting women's harassment dies

Kolkata, Feb 2: A 20-year-old college student, who slipped into coma after being beaten up for protesting harassment of women during an idol immersion procession in West Bengal's Howrah district, succumbed to his injuries Monday, police said. The incident led to a fresh outcry by opposition parties against the Mamata Banerjee government over its law and order record and "patronage of criminals". Battling for his life for last few days, 20-year-old Arup Bhandari who had been comatose since being attacked Jan 28, died at a nursing home in the morning. The assault took place when Bhandari protested against a gang of drunk youth passing lewd comments and gestures at women who were a part of an idol immersing procession. With police yet to make any arrest, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed the Banerjee administration and claimed the "barbaric incident" to be a result of a conspiracy by the ruling Trinamool Congress.