Kolkata: Three men suspected to be involved in the murder of Dulal Sarkar, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in West Bengal’s Malda district, have been arrested, police said on Friday without providing further details.
Sarkar (61), a former chairman of the Malda municipality and a businessman, was shot dead on Thursday by four motorcycle-borne assailants inside his factory, located near his house and the local TMC office. The incident was captured on a security camera.
The arrests were announced hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee pulled up the police.
Banerjee, while addressing an administrative meeting on Thursday, said, “Dulal Sarkar died due to police negligence. The superintendent of police is incompetent. Sarkar had been attacked earlier as well, but the police withdrew his security cover.”
Of the three arrested, two were from Bihar. “Shami Akhtar, a resident of Katihar, and Tinku Ghosh, who lives in Englishbazar, were arrested on Thursday. Following their interrogation, a police team went to Katihar and arrested Abdul Gani,” a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Sarkar owned a plywood factory and was also involved in the real estate business. The motive behind the murder is still under investigation,” the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}“Sarkar owned a plywood factory and was also involved in the real estate business. The motive behind the murder is still under investigation,” the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}Sarkar, who was shot in the head and neck at close range, was previously targeted in 2008 when he escaped without being injured.
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A TMC leader, Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, chairman of Englishbazar municipality, where the victim was a sitting councillor, claimed those arrested could be hired killers.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “Contract killings have become commonplace under the TMC regime. A proper investigation into Dulal Sarkar’s murder will likely reveal a tussle over real estate.”
Senior cabinet minister Firhad Hakim, who went to Malda following the murder, declined to comment on the possible motive behind Sarkar’s murder.
Sarkar’s death has brought attention to four other murders since 2020, involving hired contract killers. The four victims—one from the TMC, two from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and one from Congress — were all killed. Three of them were civic body councillors.