TMC member murder accused held in Odisha

Raiganj: In a significant development, police have apprehended Bikash Debnath, the prime suspect in the murder of Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Subrata Debnath in Itahar of North Dinajpur district. The arrest was made in the Birsa Police Station area of Odisha, following a joint operation by Itahar police and their Odisha counterparts.

Subrata Debnath’s body was found on May 3 along the banks of the Sreemoti River in Sonadangi, under the jurisdiction of Itahar Police Station. The body bore multiple injuries, indicating a violent assault. Following the discovery, Subrata’s relatives filed a complaint alleging that Bikash had previously threatened him over disputes related to mismanagement during local Durga Puja celebrations.

Acting on intelligence, the police tracked Bikash to his father-in-law’s residence in the Birsa area.

He was arrested and brought back to Itahar on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, he was presented before the court, where the police requested custody for further investigation.

Sukumar Ghosh, Inspector in-charge of Itahar Police Station, said: “With information from a special source, we arrested Bikash Debnath, the murder accused, from Odisha. On Wednesday he was produced to the court.”