'Upadhyay's murderers under BJP, CPI(M) patronage'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the murderers of Manoj Upadhyay are under the shelter of BJP and CPI(M) and assured that the miscreants will be arrested within 48 hours of the incident. Meanwhile, one Munna Ray was arrested.

Manoj Upadhyay, chairman of Bhadreswar Municipality in Hooghly, was shot dead from point blank range late on Tuesday night near a local club on GT Road when he was returning home on a two-wheeler.

Banerjee said: "No one will be spared. The accused will be arrested within 48 hours. I would also request Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure that the charge-sheet in this case is given as early as possible. We know that the accused were under the shelter of CPI(M) and BJP. We know their names and FIRs have been lodged against them."

Banerjee went to Bhadreswar and paid his respect to the departed soul. Firhad Hakim, the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, too went to Bhadreswar and attended the last rites.

Before leaving for Bhadreswar, Hakim said in Kolkata that: "I don't rule out the hand of BJP behind the murder of Manoj."

He said: "It is their policy to eliminate their opposition and it had started with the elimination of Gandhiji and they believe in politics of murder. We have also witnessed the same in Gujarat."

He further said: "It is unfortunate that today communal forces are trying to eliminate our active and good organisers as it will be beneficial for them. But administration in Bengal is in the hands of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, so their motives will never materialise. I am going to the spot now. I spoke to the commissioner of police of Chandernagore Commissionerate. He himself is looking into it and I am hopeful that the accused will get arrested soon."

Tapan Dasgupta, the state Agriculture Marketing minister and district president of Trinamool Congress went to Chandernagore Hospital where Upadhayay was declared brought dead soon after receiving the news. Dasgupta, who broke into tears, later said: "BJP is behind the crime and he was killed as he was ensuring development of the area that was not liked by them."

Police said that Upadhyay, who was two time Councilor from ward number 16 and became chairman of the municipality in 2015, was a resident of Gatebazar in Bhadreswar.

He had an invitation last night, where other Councilors too had gone. But he decided not to attend it and went to a local club. After spending a few minutes in the club, Upadhyay was riding pillion on the motorbike of one of his close friends, Chintu, on way back home.

Police came to know from Chintu that Upadhyay had asked him to stop near another club on GT Road as around eight to 10 youth had gathered there. Considering that they had gathered there to tell him something related to the municipality, Upadhyay got down from the motorbike. Soon they gheraoed Upadhyay and shot him from point blank range after a heated altercation.

Chintu was standing near his motorbike a bit ahead of the spot. He ran towards the spot and found Upadhyay lying in a pool of blood with two bullet injuries on his chest and stomach. Local people and Chintu took him to Chandernagore Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The miscreants managed to escape from the place soon after the incident. Names of two anti-social activists Raju and Ratan have cropped up in Upadhyay's murder and it has also come to light that they had engaged contract killers as well. Police went to the houses of the duo but both the houses were found locked from outside. The police detained five youth from the locality and interrogated them to ascertain the main person who had fetched the plan of killing Upadhyay.

Peeyush Pandey, commissioner of Chandernagore Police Commissionerate, said that they are looking into all aspects of the murder case.