Another TMC Leader Ritesh Roy ‘Strangled to Death’ in West Bengal

TMC alleged that the BJP was involved in the murder.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Photo used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

Shortly after the murder of Trinamool Congress MLA Satyajit Biswas, another party leader Ritesh Roy was found dead at Dadpur in Hooghly district on 11 February.

IANS reported that Roy, 45, was a cooperative society chairman from East Midnapore district's Marishda village.

Roy had been missing since 7 February, his wife Mahua Roy confirmed.

Police recovered Roy's body from a bush beside the highway, two kilometres from Dadpur. He was taken to Chuchura Imambara hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

“There are two external injury marks on Roy’s throat and eye. The post mortem report said he was killed by strangulation.” 

Police

"After we got the news from police in Hooghly, I went there and identified his body. We want strong action against the murderers," Roy's son said.

Roy’s wife said that he left his house at Chandberia village in East Medinipur to go to Kolaghat in the same district. At around 9 pm he called her with a change of plans, informing her he was going to Malda with a friend, reported The New Indian Express.

The family then filed a missing persons complaint on 9 February at Marishda police station.

Investigations to find the killer are underway.

TMC Alleges BJP Foul Play

TMC termed the murder a "political killing" and blamed the BJP for the death, with East Medinipur TMC secretary Kanishka Panda saying, “The BJP has conspired to kill him.”

“He was a young <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&amp;q=leader">leader </a>and an active member of our party. He certainly had political enemies. The miscreants, who used to torture people here during the Left Front regime, have now joined the BJP. Police should thoroughly investigate the matter,”

Subhendu Adhikari, state transport minister

"We have full faith in police. The family members have already lodged an FIR. His death is a loss for our party," he said.

BJP’s Kanthi Mandal chief Mahesh Sur strongly refuted these allegations, saying, “The BJP will never do such a thing. This might be a conspiracy of TMC leaders in Kanthi or a case of infighting.”

‘We Will Hold Him by His Collar and Drag Him to Jail’

Roy’s death comes during a volatile time in West Bengal politics, as the TMC and the BJP are caught in a blame-game over the murder of slain Krishnaganj MLA Satyajit Biswas.

Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and president of the TMC youth wing, visited the family of Biswas. He promised to drag accused BJP leader Mukul Roy, booked in the case, and others to jail, if proven guilty.

Banerjee, who is also Daimond Harbour MP, had some fiery remarks over the treatment he would mete out to the accused. Without naming Roy directly he said, “If someone is thinking he will conspire the murder of Satyajit Biswas and get saved by hanging on to the pyjamas of Delhi leaders, I assure that if and when proven guilty, we will hold him by his collar and drag him to jail.”

Banerjee also ruled out TMC infighting as a plausible cause for the murders, alleging that Sujit Mondal and Kartik Mondal, also booked in the case, were BJP workers.

Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick and Bangaon MP and Matua leader Mamata Thakur also blamed the BJP.

(With inputs from New Indian Express and IANS)