A Bharatiya Janata Party functionary was killed after being allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress-backed miscreants in Bagnan's Santoshpur area on Wednesday night. The victim, Prasanta Dey, was the vice-president of BJP's Bagnan mandal 5.
Chilling threats and recovery of body
Shortly after the attack, unidentified individuals allegedly left a white mourning cloth and Rs 5,000 in front of Dey's house. A note accompanying the cash said it was for his last rites. Later, at 3 am, his wife received a chilling call: "Your husband was doing too much BJP politics. We've killed him. Go, collect the body."
Police recovered Dey's body around 4 am and arrested eight persons in connection with the murder.
Sequence of events
According to his family, the 39-year-old left home for the party office around 8.30 pm. He then went to Santoshpur for a function accompanied by other BJP workers. TMC goons allegedly attacked them there, beating them mercilessly with sticks and rods. While Dey died on the spot, three BJP workers were seriously injured and were rushed to Bagnan Rural Hospital before being shifted to a private nursing home in Kolkata.
BJP alleges death threats ignored
Howrah district BJP secretary and legal cell convener advocate Omprakash Singh said: "Prasanta Dey was receiving death threats from Bagnan TMC MLA Arunava Sen's men ever since BJP began gaining strength in the state. We had informed the police as well. Yet, this murder happened despite police vigilance. This shows how brazen they are."
Singh added that during TMC's term, Dey was once forced to leave his home and continued party work while staying underground. Locals claimed all those arrested were TMC workers and notorious anti-social elements. Singh said the attack took place in the locality where TMC deputy chief of Haldan panchayat, Sk Mafijul, a close associate of MLA Sen, resides and claimed that Mafijul was behind the incident.
TMC's counter-claim
TMC countered that BJP workers attacked Mafijul's house first, which triggered clashes between the two sides.
Police investigation
Howrah Rural SP Amit Varma said all eight accused have criminal antecedents and that a hunt was on for alleged mastermind Mafijul. More arrests are likely, he added.
Aftermath
Local residents and BJP supporters blocked the Shyampur-Bagnan road on Thursday morning and ransacked Mafijul's house. Tension ran high as police and central forces personnel patrolled the area.
