BJP seeks CBI probe into Dinhata death - a handwritten note found from Sarkar’s clothes had names and numbers of three local BJP leaders

Party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Dinesh Trivedi and others continued to blame Trinamul for killing Sarkar and hanging him to make it look like suicide

Kailash Vijayvargiya (holding the son of late party leader Amit Sarkar) in Dinhata on Thursday.

Main Uddin Chisti

TT  |   Cooch Behar   |    26.03.21 : Senior BJP leaders on Thursday reached Dinhata town to stand by the family of Amit Sarkar, 50, the BJP president of town committee of the party, who was found dead and hanging on the premises of a local veterinary hospital on Wednesday.

Party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Dinesh Trivedi and others who reached Dinhata continued to blame Trinamul for killing Sarkar and hanging him to make it look like suicide, and sought a CBI probe. They also drew parallels with the death of Debendranath Roy, the BJP’s party MLA of Hemtabad in North Dinajpur whose body was found hanging last year.

Trinamul leaders, on the other hand, drew attention to a handwritten note found from Sarkar’s clothes on Wednesday that they said had names and numbers of three local BJP leaders and demanded a thorough probe into the case.

“Trinamul killed him and hanged his body to make it look like suicide. They planted a note in his pocket to cast blame on (BJP) party workers. A similar incident happened with our MLA in Hemtabad. We want a CBI probe,” Vijayvargiya, BJP national general-secretary, said on Thursday.

Later in the day, Sarkar’s mortal remains were released from Cooch Behar Government Medical College & Hospital. Hundreds of BJP supporters, along with leaders, joined Sarkar’s funeral procession to Dinhata for his last rites.

MLA Guha said the police should speak with those named in the note. “The BJP is trying to reap political dividend from this death,” he said.

Police officers said Munmun’s complaint named 22 persons — mostly Trinamul leaders — accusing them of murdering her husband. It includes Udayan Guha, sitting Trinamul MLA from Dinhata and this election’s candidate.

The Election Commission that has ordered a police observer be sent to Cooch Behar for a report, also transferred Cooch Behar SP K. Kannan on Thursday along with some other senior IPS officers. Debashish Dhar will be the new police chief of the district, said the EC order.

On Wednesday, some residents spotted Sarkar’s body hanging in Dakbungalowpara of the town. He had gone out early on Wednesday, his wife Munmun told the police.

As the news spread, hundreds of BJP supporters on Wednesday blocked roads, tore down Trinamul flags, festoons and banners and set them on fire, and ransacked Trinamul party offices. As police intervened, BJP supporters clashed with them and police retaliated with batons and teargas.