Kolkata: CPI-M leader and former MP Sujan Chakraborty was Thursday booked for the murder of a ruling Trinamool Congress candidate for the upcoming West Bengal panchayat polls, police said. Chakraborty claimed innocence, while his party threatened to launch an agitation if its leader was arrested without any “proper investigation”.
Shibram Naskar, a Trinamool candidate for the Baruipur panchayat samiti in South 24 Parganas district, was killed Wednesday when he was returning home after campaigning, police said. While one person has been arrested, cases have been started against five others, including Chakraborty, following a complaint filed by the victim’s kin. Police superintendent Pravin Tripathi told IANS: “They alleged that Chakraborty had conspired. So we have started a case against him.” Naskar, who had several injuries on his head and neck, died while being taken to a city hospital, police said. Chakraborty, who was an MP 2004-09, is a member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretariat and secretary of the party’s South 24 Parganas district committee.
Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool’s district observer Sovan Chatterjee accused Chakraborty of being involved in the murder. “Naskar was killed when he was returning after campaigning. There is a deep conspiracy behind this. The possibility of Sujan Chakraborty’s direct or indirect involvement cannot be ruled out,” said Chatterjee. (IANS)
