Jalpaiguri: Divisional Secretary of BJP Cooch BeharDinhata was shot dead at his Simultala house on Friday, triggering tension in the area. Locals alleged that BJP worker Prashant Roy Basunia (26) opened the door for a group of people around 2 pm. He was talking to her in his living room when a brawl broke out. One of the visitors allegedly pulled out a pistol and shot Basunia in the head.
Basunia’s mother, who was cooking lunch in the kitchen, ran into the living room after seeing her son lying in a pool of blood and called the police. Police personnel from Bhetaguri police station took Basunia to Dinhata Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Coochbehar SP Sumit Kumar said, ‘We have found a body which had bullet marks on it. The circumstances under which the death took place are being investigated. We are waiting for the postmortem report. An arrest warrant was pending against the victim. Police said the BJP divisional secretary has six criminal cases registered against him, including theft, dacoity and attempt to murder. He was listed as ‘absconding’ in the police records. Police said it was learned that Basunia had returned home from Delhi on Thursday night. A team of Dinhata police led by Additional SP went to Basunia’s house to talk to her mother and inquire about the crime. The murder took place barely 1 km away from the Union Minister of State for Home Nisith PramanikBhetaguri Niwas. Basuniya was considered close to Pramanik. The death triggered a political blame-game ahead of the panchayat elections. BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari demanded a CBI inquiry, claiming Trinamool’s hand in the murder. He tweeted, Trinamool is scared of hundreds of Trinamool workers in the area leaving the party and joining BJP.
A BJP delegation comprising Natbari MLA Mihir Goswami, Falakata MLA Deepak Barman and Coochbehar North MLA Sukumar Roy visited Basunia’s house and blocked the state highway demanding an early probe. Roy claimed, “Basunia was murdered a day after holding public meetings in areas where the BJP could not hold meetings.” BJP workers said that five Mandal leaders have been killed in different districts in the last one month.
North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha, in whose constituency Basunia’s house is located, said no Trinamool worker was involved in Dinhata. Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, he said Basuniya was involved in “anti-social activities”. Guha said, “The investigation will reveal whether Basuniya was killed by his own men.”
Basunia’s mother, who was cooking lunch in the kitchen, ran into the living room after seeing her son lying in a pool of blood and called the police. Police personnel from Bhetaguri police station took Basunia to Dinhata Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Coochbehar SP Sumit Kumar said, ‘We have found a body which had bullet marks on it. The circumstances under which the death took place are being investigated. We are waiting for the postmortem report. An arrest warrant was pending against the victim. Police said the BJP divisional secretary has six criminal cases registered against him, including theft, dacoity and attempt to murder. He was listed as ‘absconding’ in the police records. Police said it was learned that Basunia had returned home from Delhi on Thursday night. A team of Dinhata police led by Additional SP went to Basunia’s house to talk to her mother and inquire about the crime. The murder took place barely 1 km away from the Union Minister of State for Home Nisith PramanikBhetaguri Niwas. Basuniya was considered close to Pramanik. The death triggered a political blame-game ahead of the panchayat elections. BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari demanded a CBI inquiry, claiming Trinamool’s hand in the murder. He tweeted, Trinamool is scared of hundreds of Trinamool workers in the area leaving the party and joining BJP.
A BJP delegation comprising Natbari MLA Mihir Goswami, Falakata MLA Deepak Barman and Coochbehar North MLA Sukumar Roy visited Basunia’s house and blocked the state highway demanding an early probe. Roy claimed, “Basunia was murdered a day after holding public meetings in areas where the BJP could not hold meetings.” BJP workers said that five Mandal leaders have been killed in different districts in the last one month.
North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha, in whose constituency Basunia’s house is located, said no Trinamool worker was involved in Dinhata. Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, he said Basuniya was involved in “anti-social activities”. Guha said, “The investigation will reveal whether Basuniya was killed by his own men.”