Three 'close aides' of Adhir held for TMC leader's murder

Three Congress workers reportedly close to West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Adhir Chowdhury were arrested in connection with the murder of a Trinamool Congress leader Ashadul Sheikh.

State Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari went to Sheikh's house to pay last respects. He said, the persons involved with Sheikh's murder will be arrested.

The assailants fired at the victim from point blank range injuring him badly. He was taken to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police later arrested three Congress workers, Shiladitya Halder, Hira Halder and Shyamal Hazra. They were produced before the court and remanded to police custody for four days. District Congress leaders denied involvement of the party workers in the matter and said the murder was the fallout of infighting  within the Trinamool Congress.

Sheikh ( 41) was a businessman. He had gone to Bhakuri area of Murshidabad for business late on Thursday evening  and was returning to his house when the incident occurred. The miscreants stopped his motorcycle and fired at him from a close range. They left the place leaving him on the road. 

Attracted by the noise of a gunshot, local people came out of their homes and found him lying on the road in a pool of   blood. They took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. The police on Friday rounded up three Congress workers in connection with Sheikh's murder.

Trinamool Congress had made a major dent in Murshidabad which had been a Congress stronghold since  Independence by taking control over the zilla parishad and Baharampur Municipality in 2016. Majority of the party workers have crossed the floor and joined Trinamool. Despite best efforts, Adhir Chowdhury could not save his fort when Trinamool Congress took control over the zilla parisad in 2016.  There has been a massive erosion of the support base of the RSP which had earlier many fan followings in the district. Veteran RSP leaders Tridib Chowdhury and former state Irrigation and Waterways minister Debabrata Bandopadhyay hailed from the district.

District Trinamool Congress leaders said before the Municipal election at Domkol, to be held on Sunday, CPI(M) and Congress are trying to create a panic in the district to scare the voters. They said that the two parties had secretly joined hands with BJP and "they are up to create law and order problem in the district."  Local Trinamool leaders said both Congress and CPI(M) leaders are nervous as many of their supporters had joined BJP. 

The police are conducting a massive hunt for the assailants. Soumik Hossain, Trinamool Congress leader  said: "Congress, CPI(M) and BJP have planned to stall development works being carried out by party supremo Mamata Banerjee but people have understood their game plan and will punish them in the Municipal polls."