Barun Biswas’s fellow activist lodges formal complaint, demands fresh investigation into murder

The investigation into the murder of school teacher and activist Barun Biswas, who had protested against the abuse of women at Sutia in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganans district, has taken a new turn as his fellow activist has lodged a formal complaint with the police, alleging that the previous dispensation tried to coverup the investigation.

Nandadulal Das, a fellow activist who had participated in protests along with Biswas, shot off a letter to Bongaon Superintendent of Police Bidisha Kalita Dasgupta on Tuesday demanding a fresh investigation into the 2012 murder case, claiming that the earlier one was thwarted by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick. He alleged that the previous regime has tried to shield the actual perpetrators by pinning the blame for the murder on the CPM.

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Following the change of government in the state, Barun Biswas’s family had approached Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari seeking justice, who assured them of assistance. Subsequently, the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stepped up its efforts in the case with investigators visiting Barun Biswas’s residence in Gobardanga.

A hearing on the case is scheduled at the Bongaon court on August 31, when the testimony of Biswas’s father is expected to be recorded. Police sources indicate that a decision on whether to register an FIR based on Nandadulal’s complaint is likely to taken on the day of this hearing.

Barun Biswas’s sister, Pramila Roy Biswas said, “Everyone has the right to protest. Nandadulal Das has taken legal action in his own capacity. However, the Biswas family holds no separate stance or statement regarding this matter.”

Nandadulal, a school teacher by profession, claimed to have faced harassment over the past few years for speaking out about Barun Biswas’s murder. He has even claimed that “false” cases were slapped against him and was branded as a ‘Maoist’.

Barun Biswas, a Bengali teacher at Mitra Institution (Main) in Kolkata was shot dead by miscreants near Gobardanga station in North 24 Parganas on June 5, 2012. The 38-year-old teacher had been vocal in his opposition to the abuse and gang-rape of women in Sutia and had even emerged to be the face of protest in the area.