Debashis Acharya, the 22-year-old youth who slapped Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday, was mentally unstable over the past few months and used to repeatedly threaten to commit suicide, his father Deshbandhu Acharya told HT.
"It's about three-four months ago that we started suspecting he was losing his mental balance. Whenever we scolded him, he threatened to end his life," Acharya, a small-time businessman, said. Debashis was charged with attempting to murder Banerjee and is admitted to the Tamluk sub-divisional hospital.
Doctors said he was out of danger but needed further observation and treatment because of head injuries.
Debashis had been living at Contai at a rented place owned by a functionary of the RSS, Tamal Pallab Biswas, since December 1.
He shared his room with a college friend, Sukhen Das.
Police detained Biswas and Das on Monday morning. The duo was being grilled till the time of filing the report. However, both of them denied having any links to the attack.
"I'm with the RSS but I have no role in the attack. I only rented out the place to him," Biswas said.
{{/usCountry}}"I'm with the RSS but I have no role in the attack. I only rented out the place to him," Biswas said.
{{/usCountry}}Das said Debashis told him on Sunday morning that he was going to Santragachhi in Howrah district but turned up at Banerjee's rally at Chandipur.