TMC supporter killed in north Bengal; party blames BJP

Police have arrested Kamaleshwar Roy, a local resident, on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mandal’s family.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that a party supporter was hacked to death in the Cooch Behar district of north Bengal on Thursday night by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers. One person has been arrested by the police.

TMC supporter’s body was found in a pool of blood by the roadside in Cooch Behar district.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Nadiram Mandal (63), a resident of Madhya Marichbari village in the Pundibari police station area of Cooch Behar North assembly constituency went missing on Thursday after he went to the market. Hours later, his body was found in a pool of blood by the roadside, about half a kilometre from his home. There were stab injuries on the face and back, police officials said.

Police have arrested Kamaleshwar Roy, a local resident, on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mandal’s family. Mandal’s son Nikhil claimed Roy was a BJP activist and had an old feud with his father.

Rabindranath Ghosh, minister in charge of the north Bengal development department, said, “Mandal was an active TMC member. He was killed by BJP supporters. Four TMC supporters have been killed by the BJP in Cooch Behar district in the last three months.”

Malati Rava Roy, the BJP’s Cooch Behar district committee president dismissed the charges. She said, “The man arrested in this case is also a TMC supporter. The crime is the fallout of a family feud. The TMC is politicising this because it is fast losing its base. In the last six months, seven BJP supporters were killed by TMC men.”

K Kannan, superintendent of police, said, “One man has been arrested and investigation is on.”