Bengal: TMC zonal president shot dead in Birbhum, third such incident in 3 days

Pijush Ghosh was the president of TMC’s Sirindhipur zonal unit and an office bearer of the local panchayat samity in West Bengal’s Birbhum

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) zonal unit president Pijush Ghosh was shot dead early Sunday in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, making him the second TMC zonal leader and third party worker to be killed in the last three days, police said.

Pijush Ghosh had left home on his motorcycle around 12.30 am after receiving a phone call. (Shutterstock/ Representative photo)

Ghosh, president of the TMC’s Sirindhipur zonal unit and an office bearer of the local panchayat samity in Birbhum, had left home on his motorcycle around 12.30 am after receiving a phone call. “A woman, identified as Mousumi Mal, allegedly saw a man shooting Ghosh from behind around 2 am. Ghosh went to meet Mal, a preliminary probe has revealed,” a police officer, requesting anonymity, said.

Mal reportedly raised an alarm after she found Ghosh on the road outside her home with a bullet injury to the head. “She was standing at the main door when Ghosh was shot. It appears he died on the spot. Some people took the bleeding victim to hospital but did not inform the police,” the officer added.

Police have detained three people, including Mal, for questioning. “No one has been arrested yet,” the officer said.

Ghosh used to sell sand from local riverbeds, which allegedly had led to clashes between rival TMC groups in the past. “Politics took his life. I repeatedly begged him to leave politics and the business but he never listened. The government should provide a job for my son. How will we survive?” the deceased’s wife Tista Ghosh said.

His sister-in-law, Shanti, said that Ghosh was receiving death threats since the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “Notes threatening my brother-in-law with dire consequences if he did not give up the party post were pasted on our main door,” she said.

TMC MLA Abhijit Sinha from Birbhum’s Labpur alleged a conspiracy behind the murder. “Of course there was a conspiracy. Someone called Ghosh up at midnight and he left home. We have requested the police not to spare anyone,” said Sinha.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president Samik Bhattacharya targeted the ruling party and said, “Infighting in TMC has reached a level where people in the party are killing each other. Bengal is witnessing an anarchy.”

Rajjak Khan, a TMC anchal president from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, was murdered on Thursday, following which police arrested Mofajjel Mollah, a local TMC leader, on Sunday.

Mollah, who was sent to police custody for seven days for allegedly killing Khan, declined to comment. His wife, Muslima Khatun, said, “I don’t know why the police arrested my husband (Mollah). He and Rajjak Bhai were close friends. Rajjak Bhai used to frequently come to our home.”

“Preliminary investigation indicates that there was a rivalry between Khan and Mofajjel Mollah,” a police officer said, requesting anonymity.

Abul Kalam Azad, a TMC panchayat-level worker, was hacked to death while celebrating his birthday on Thursday at Englishbazar in Malda district. Four TMC workers were arrested by Sunday.