Kaliaganj: Barely hours after the BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused West Bengal cops of killing a BJP worker, Raiganj Police Superintendent Sana Akhtar without directly making statement on the accountability of the police said that an investigation is underway and the truth will be come to the fore only after the autopsy report comes in.
SP Mohammad Sana Akhtar said the truth would emerge only after the investigation is over. "An investigation is underway. So far, a claim was made. The post-mortem report will reveal the truth," Akhtar, who hurriedly disconnected the reporter's query, said. The death of Mrityunjay Barman whom the BJP claimed as its worker has evoked an outcry in Kaliaganj. Earlier, an attack on a police station in the area set off a political slugfest between the ruling TMC government and the Opposition BJP.
BJP leaders, Suvendu Adhikari and Debashree Chowdhury, accused the state police of atrocities on BJP workers who, they said, were being systematically targeted to eliminate at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Meanwhile, Kaliaganj continues to boil over the incident. The administration has clamped prohibitory orders and an internet shutdown was also clamped to avoid further tension in the area.
Adhikari in a Tweet alleged that police raided the house of BJP Panchayat Samiti member Bishnu Barman, who was away then. Being unable to trace him, cops targeted Mrityunjay Barman on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
Sources said after the attack on the police station, cops fanned out to trace people involved in the incident. Cops detailed several villagers, who were taken to police vehicles. While trying to disperse the crowd, the police shot dead 33-year-old Mrutyunjay.
Giving an account of the incident, Mahindra Barman, a villager, said, “Upon arrival at Bishnu Barman's house, cops beat up Bishnu's old father and son-in-law and took them in the car. Villagers protested against the police act. Cops kept beating people and shot Mrutyunjay twice in front of the gate of the house. He just asked the police, why cops were looking for Bishnu. After firing, cops ran away from the village. We took Mrityunjay to Kaliaganj Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival."
The incident has evoked a public outcry in the area. Mrityunjay's inconsolable mother, who could barely speak, only said, “Last night, we were sleeping in the house. His father forbade the boy to go out. The boy was brutally shot dead by police." Mrityunjay's father Rabindranath Barman said, “My son had a conversation with the police. We couldn't imagine, he would be killed. I am a heart patient. At first, no one told me anything about his murder, but later I came to know that my son was killed."
Krishna Barman, a member of Rādhikapur village Panchayat, said she could not believe that Mriynjay could be killed by cops. The villagers said they got evidence of police firing. District Magistrate Kingshuk Maity said he was monitoring the situation from the BDO office.
