Jalpaiguri: In a dramatic rescue reminiscent of a film scene, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former paramilitary officer Krishna Das (54) saved two young children from their armed father, who had just murdered their mother in the Raipur Tea Garden area of Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday.
The shocking incident unfolded around 8 am in the Paharia Labour Line under Kotwali Police Station. According to police, Ajay Munda (30), a worker at the Raipur Tea Garden, allegedly killed his wife, Kusum Munda (25), with a sharp weapon in the presence of their two children — a son and a daughter. After the murder, he locked himself inside the house, holding the children hostage at knifepoint. Local residents and police personnel rushed to the spot but were unable to intervene immediately, fearing that any misstep could provoke the man into harming the children.
At around noon, Krishna Das, the district president of the Trinamool Congress SC/ST/OBC cell and former deputy Panchayat head, arrived at the scene. Drawing on his previous training from his tenure with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Das swiftly opened the door and overpowered the armed man in an operation that stunned onlookers. Police immediately entered the house, secured the suspect and rescued the children unharmed.
Speaking to the media, Krishna Das said: “When I reached the spot, I saw that the police were trying their best but couldn’t act due to the risk to the children’s lives. It appeared that Ajay Munda was mentally unstable after killing his wife and was using the children as a human shield. Using my SSB training, I was able to subdue him and hand him over to the police. I thank God for allowing me to save the children.” Ajay Munda was taken into custody and the victim’s body was sent for post-mortem. The rescued children have been placed in a protective shelter.
District Superintendent of Police, Khandbahale Umesh Ganpat, confirmed the arrest and said: “The accused has been detained and the children are safe. An investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the crime.”