West Bengal: Couple killed in lightening, left behind 8-year-old daughter

By Syeda Shabana Parveen
Hooghly (West Bengal) [India], June 9 (ANI): A couple of Balipur village in the Hooghly district, West Bengal died due to lightening while working on the fields.
Hemanta Gucchait, 43, and Malabika Gucchait, 23, were parents to an 8-year-old girl child. The incident took place on Monday.
"When the lightning struck, both of them were working on the fields. Suddenly, we heard that they were lying on the field. That is when we rushed to find out they were dead," said Malabika's father Joydev Maiti.
"My daughter was very ambitious, she wanted to do a job. So was my son-in-law, he used to work in a studio but due to Covid lockdown, he was focussing on cultivating vegetables because the studio was closed down," he added.
He further told ANI that the couple was never interested in cultivation. "However, in order to pass their time here, we had asked our son-in-law to work in the field. For the past one month, both of them had been diligently working on the field here. Nobody knew that this would be their fate," said Joydev Maiti.
Speaking to ANI, Malabika's mother Deepali Maiti stressed on the concern about raising the couple's daughter.
"They have left behind their daughter. How are we going to look after her? No one can take the void left behind parents," she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had approved an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the lightening in West Bengal.
"We have heard that the Central Government will provide monetary help of Rs 2 lakhs. Meanwhile, the state government officials had also visited our house. But our main concern is that how are we going raise the small girl who has no idea about the death of her parents," said Silladitya Gucchait, nephew of the deceased couple.
As many as 27 people were killed due to lightning in various parts of West Bengal including 11 in Hooghly, nine in Murshidabad, two in Bankura, one in Nadia, two each in East Midnapore and West Midnapore. (ANI)