Kolkata: Several days after Habra police station sub-inspector (SI) Biswanath Sen was found hanging, the mystery surrounding his death remains unsolved. But outside his locked room, a stray dog named Lalu continues to wait.Police personnel said Lalu sits outside Sen’s room for hours every morning and evening, staring at the closed door. He has also virtually stopped eating since the officer’s death.“His unwavering vigil gives the impression that he is still waiting for Biswanath to return after finishing his duty—just as he always did,” a senior officer said, adding that the dog seems to believe his ‘sir’ will eventually step out and pat him on the head.Sen’s body was recovered from his quarters at the Habra Police Station barracks on Sep 14. “He performed his duty as normal until the night before the incident. When he failed to report for work the following day, a civic volunteer went to call him and discovered his body,” a colleague said.Both Sen’s family and colleagues remain puzzled over why he took his own life. Police sources said he was investigating the gang-rape of a minor in Habra and was scheduled to appear before Barasat court on the day of his death.Transferred to Habra only a month ago, Sen had formed a close bond with Lalu and arranged separate meals for him at the police canteen. Former colleagues said Sen regularly fed and treated stray animals. At Deganga, he rescued a puppy from jackals, named it Bullet and raised it. After Bullet died, Sen travelled there to perform its last rites.“The SI is gone, but Lalu does not understand that,” a senior officer said. “His wait continues in the hope that his beloved companion will emerge from behind that closed door and place a hand on his head once more,” he added.
