TMC activist found dead over suspected cut money row

Kolkata: Mystery shrouds the death of a Trinamool Congress activist from Burdwan, whose body was found in Hooghly's Serampore on Wednesday morning.

The victim, identified as Purnendu Chatterjee, had been missing since Tuesday after some local residents stormed

into his house and heckled his family members. They had alleged that the victim had misappropriated some government funds.

The villagers demanded the money back from his family members on Tuesday morning, when Chatterjee was away from home. The agitators had alleged that the victim had received around Rs 30,000 as cut money from a fund, which was generated for a government scheme.

The victim did not return home on Tuesday night. His body was recovered by the police in Hooghly on Wednesday morning. There were some injury marks on his body, which was later identified by his family members.

Police have started a murder case on the basis of the complaint lodged by his family members. The body has been sent for postmortem examination.

The family members of the victim alleged that BJP-backed goons might have been behind the incident. The district Trinamool Congress leaders have also put the blame on the saffron party. The district BJP leaders, however, have denied the allegations brought against them by the ruling party.

In the course of investigation, police came to know that the family members couldn't contact him since Tuesday afternoon.

Police are trying to ascertain where the victim had stayed on Tuesday night. The investigating officers are yet to ascertain the exact cause of his death. However, preliminary investigation suggests that he might have been murdered.

Police are waiting for the postmortem report which might throw some light

on the reason why he was killed. A

detailed probe has been initiated in this connection.