The Kolkata police bid adieu to the knight in shining armour, traffic sergeant Bapi Sen, who died on Monday after lying in coma for six days after being brutally beaten up on New Year's eve allegedly by five policemen for coming to the rescue of a woman they were molesting.

After Sen was declared dead on Monday morning, his body was taken to the police morgue at the Calcutta Medical Research Institute for a post mortem before being placed in the police headquarters in Kolkata.

The sergeant was given a gun salute at the police headquarters.

Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta, Police Commissioner Sujoy Chakraborty, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M K Singh, other senior officials and colleagues were among those offered tributes.

The chief minister also spent some time with the bereaved family members, who had brought the body to the police headquarters.

He, however, did not make a formal announcement on the compensation to be paid to Sen's next of kin.

Relatives and neighbours, who gathered at Sen's south Kolkata residence, remembered him as one who never turned his back on a challenge and also helped the needy.

Joint Commissioner of Police Shivaji Ghosh said the five constables, currently in police custody, were under suspension and efforts were being made to secure exemplary punishment for them.

Two of them were arrested on January one while the rest surrendered before a court on January two.

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