BALURGHAT: South Dinajpur's district BJP president, Subhendu Sarkar, was arrested on Monday night from Balurghat's Raghunathpur on charges of abetting a female party worker to commit suicide.
Police said the late female Saffron party worker Moushumi Mazumder (45), who was a resident of Sherpur under Banshihari police station area, committed suicide by hanging self at her residence on June 5.
Her husband, Pradip Mazumder, lodged an official complaint at Banshihari police station on June 6 against Sarkar including four others, alleging his wife was forced to commit suicide following Sarkar and his party member's mental torture, harassment and insult.
After receiving the complaint, police initiated a probe against him and his men. An arrest warrant had also been issued.
Police on Tuesday produced Sarkar at Gangarampur sub-divisional court pleading for seven-day police remand. The judge, however, granted three-day police remand. He had been kept under tight security arrangements. A medical test was also conducted.
According to a BJP party source, Mazumder was an active party worker. She had also contested civic poll in Buniadpur with the party ticket a few months before. Later, she had developed misunderstandings with Sarkar. Besides, she attacked Sarkar while attending a party meeting on November 30 at Buniadpur, where she had slapped Sarkar in front of party workers and leaders. Following her misconduct, she was ousted from party by Sarkar.
Sarkar, however, rubbished the charges being brought against him. "Neither he nor his party men was responsible for her suicide," Sarkar said.