TMC's Hanskhali block prez murdered in party office, 1 held

Dulal Biswas, Trinamool Congress leader and president of Hanskhali block of the party and pradhan of Bagula-I gram panchayat in Nadia was killed inside the party office on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, cops arrested one person in connection with the case. Party leaders alleged that some CPI(M) workers who had joined Trinamool Congress after the 2016 election and have now switched over to the BJP were behind the murder. Party MP Abhishek Banerjee and the party's secretary general Partha Chatterjee attended a meeting to condole the murder of Biswas in Bagula on Monday afternoon.

Party MP Abhishek Bandhopadhyay alleged that BJP is trying to create trouble throughout the state and defame Trinamool Congress. He said he would speak to the Chief Minister to take stringent action against the accused.

Dipankar Biswas, Dulal's son who was present at the party office when the crime was committed claimed that he could identify some of the criminals. He has lodged an FIR naming 13 persons.

This is the second such incident in a week's time when a TMC's panchayat pradhan was murdered. Zairul Sheilkh, a Trinamool panchayat pradhan of Ketugram in Burdwan was murdered by unknown criminals when he was returning home last week.

In Biswas' case, the criminals, with their faces covered, entered the party office late on Sunday evening. They fired at Biswas from outside which missed him. Then the miscreants entered the party office and fired at him from a point blank range. Around 25 Trinamool workers were present at the party office who tried to overpower three criminals who had entered the party office. Biswas' son even took off the mask which one of the miscreants was wearing. But three more criminals who were waiting outside opened fire to scare people who had come to the market. A pandemonium broke out and taking advantage of the situation, the assailants fled from the spot. The whole operation lasted for less than 10 minutes. Biswas was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Biswas, a CPI(M) leader, had joined Trinamool Congress after the success of the party in the 2011 Assembly polls. A well-known organizer, Biswas had roped in many CPI(M) workers of Hanskhali block. His brother Sajal was murdered in early 2016 and following that, the district police gave Biswas an armed security guard who was coincidentally on leave on Sunday.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the criminals had crossed the railway track situated behind the party office and came to the market through a small lane. Three of them waited outside while three entered the party office. The police recovered two empty cartilages and a double barrel gun. A massive hunt is on for the criminals.

A pall of gloom descended when the hearse carrying the mortal remains of Biswas entered the area. He was well-known for his organisational capabilities and was running the gram panchayat very efficiently.