TMC worker's murder puts Jangalmahal on edge

Kolkata: Tension ran high in Jangalmahal following the murder of a Trinamool Congress worker and assault on another. The body of a Trinamool Congress worker was recovered from a paddy field at Narayangarh on Monday, with external marks of injury. He had reportedly been missing from Saturday night.

Local Trinamool Congress leaders held the BJP responsible for the murder. However, BJP has denied the allegations and said it was the result of an intra-party squabble.

The local people said some persons had called up the Trinamool worker on Saturday night on his cell phone and asked him to meet them. When he did not return, his family members lodged a missing complaint with the police.

His body was recovered from a paddy field on Monday morning. The police subsequently sent the body for post-mortem. Local people alleged that the body had external marks of injury.

Local people further alleged that BJP has been trying to create trouble in Narayangarh since the Lok Sabha election results came out on May 19 and everyday since then, Trinamool Congress workers have been attacked on one pretext or the other.

It may be recalled that Dilip Ram, a Trinamool Congress leader, was murdered by unknown miscreants at Bandel railway station on June 29. Trinamool Congress leaders alleged involvement of BJP in this instance as well.

In another incident, a Trinamool Congress leader was beaten up allegedly by BJP workers at Shalboni. The leader was returning home when some BJP workers stopped his bike and forced him to get down from the vehicle. He was beaten up with sticks and left on the road in a pool of blood. Local people took him to a hospital where he was admitted.

The police have begun investigation. No one has been arrested so far in this connection.