West Bengal denies allegations in SC that BJP leader's death was political murder
New Delhi: West Bengal government has denied in the Supreme Court the allegations that death of BJP leader Debendra Nath Roy, who was found hanging in July last year, was a political murder and said that prompt and efficacious investigation has been conducted in the matter by the state CID.
In its reply affidavit filed in the apex court, which is hearing a plea seeking transfer of investigation in the case to the CBI, the state has said that West Bengal criminal investigation department (CID) has investigated all aspects of the complaints as well as possible causes of death and has already filed a charge sheet in the competent court.
It claimed that the petitioners, while raising unfounded allegations against state police authorities, have relied on the tweets by high-ranking public officials to wrongly assume that the incident was pre-planned or that state machinery was involved.
It is denied that the death of Debendra Nath Roy was a political murder or that the state machinery was used or was an accomplice or involved in any manner in causing such death and it is denied this was a shame on society and violated the right to life guaranteed to the citizens of this nation under Article 21 of the Constitution, said the reply affidavit filed by Dy.SP CID, Malda zone.
Roy was found hanging near his home in Hemtabad area of North Dinajpur district on July 13 last year. He was elected as an MLA in West Bengal from CPI (M) in 2016 and had later joined the BJP in 2019.
The plea came up for hearing on Tuesday before a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah. The petitioners, Shashank Shekher Jha and Savio Rodrigues, sought time to respond to the affidavit filed by the state.
The bench posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.
In its reply affidavit, the state has sought dismissal of the plea and said that allegations and speculations by the petitioners that Roy was first killed and then hanged is false and without any basis.
