TMC worker murdered in Bengal industrial belt was a criminal, says BJP

A 24-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker, Akash Prasad, was murdered around midnight on Wednesday in the Jagaddal industrial belt of Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. The area is part of the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in 2019 amid widespread violence.

“We are carrying out an investigation. The family of the deceased has alleged that he left home around midnight,” an officer of the Jagaddal police station said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to the media. “Prasad had a criminal record,” he added.

Arun Prasad, the father of the deceased, claimed before the local media and police that his son was an active TMC worker and he left home after receiving a call from Akash Shaw, a local extortionist.

TMC leaders made conflicting statements. Somnath Shyam, the local TMC unit convener claimed that Prasad was a party worker and he was killed by BJP workers. Sanjay Singh, the joint convener, alleged that the youth had no connection with the TMC and was lynched by local people while attempting an extortion. The police did not comment on either of these claims.

Arjun Singh, the BJP Lok Sabha member, said, “The TMC is making conflicting statements to hide the truth. Prasad was a notorious extortionist and had recently entered the drug trade. He had a long criminal record and used to work for TMC leaders,” said Singh.

The Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency has witnessed a string of political clashes and murders in recent months.

Manish Shukla, 39, an outgoing BJP councillor of the Titagarh municipality was gunned down by motorcycle-borne hitmen on the night of October 4. Seven people, including two contract killers, have been arrested by the criminal investigation department (CID) but the government has made no official statement on the investigation so far.