Logo

Logo

West Bengal: Trinamool leader, missing since 7 February, found dead

Trinamool has termed the murder as a ‘political killing’ and alleged that BJP is involved; BJP denies allegation, calls it fallout of internal fued

West Bengal: Trinamool leader, missing since 7 February, found dead

Representational Image (Photo: Getty Images)

A little more than 24 hours after sitting Trinamool MLA Satyajit Biswas was shot dead at Fulbari in Nadia and a BJP leader survived a life threatening attack om Howrah, the body of a Trinamool leader, who had been missing since 7 February, was retrieved at Dadpur in Hooghly on Monday,

While the police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the murder of Ritesh Roy (45), who was from Contai in East Midnapore, the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP have started a blame game.

Ritesh Roy, the party’s Chandaberia booth president under Durmuth anchal in Contai III block, went missing on 7 February night. His family members were able to establish contact with him on his cell phone on that night but his phone was found switched off hours later. Unable to contact him again, his wife Mohua Roy lodged a missing diary on 9 February with the Marishda police.

Advertisement

On Monday, when a body was retrieved from Dadpur area, the police station concerned sent a message to the Marishda police, which identified the body as that of Roy with the help of the deceased’s son.

“After we got the news from police in Hooghly, I went there and identified his body. We want strong action against the murderers,” his son said.

The police said his body was found from a bush beside the highway, 2 km from Dadpur. He was taken to Chuchura Imambara hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

“There are two external injury marks on Roy’s throat and eye. Post mortem report said he was killed by strangulation,” said an officer.

According to the victim’s wife, Ritesh received a call around 4.30 pm on 7 February. He left home around 7.30 pm telling his wife that he was going to meet someone called Souvik Chakraborty at Kolaghat. Around 9.30 pm, he called his wife again informing her that he was headed to Malda as Souvik’s father had suffered a severe heart attack and was very serious. Hours later, his cell phone was found switched off.

According to Trinamool Congress leader Kanishka Panda, Ritesh’s house is situated at nearby place where the BJP national president Amit Shah had addressed a rally on 29 January. Moments after the rally, the BJP workers had reportedly ransacked the Chandaberia party office when Ritesh was present inside the party office. “As he had tried to resist the BJP workers from ransacking the party office, the BJP had kidnapped him to take revenge and they have finally killed him,” alleged Panda.

“He was a young leader and an active member of our party. He certainly had political enemies. The miscreants, who used to torture people here during the Left Front regime, have now joined the BJP. Police should thoroughly investigate the matter,” alleged TMC leader and Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikari.

BJP’s district president Tapan Maity, however, brushed off the allegation saying it was the fallout of a factional feud in the Trinamool Congress.

“We never practise such politics. We convey our condolence to Ritesh’s family members and demand a proper investigation into this matter and immediate arrest of the culprits”, Maity said.

Advertisement