BJP leader found dead in Cooch Behar

District BJP leaders have alleged murder by local Trinamul supporters while the latter have brushed aside the charges

Sources said on Monday afternoon Dhirendranath Burman, 45, a resident of Changhat village under Sitalkuchi police station, went to his agricultural field where he had planted jute but did not return.: Shutterstock

TT  Correspondent   |  Cooch Behar   |  26.05.21: A BJP leader who went missing from his agricultural field on Monday afternoon was found dead near his home in Sitalkuchi here on Monday night.

District BJP leaders have alleged murder by local Trinamul supporters while the latter have brushed aside the charges.

Sources said on Monday afternoon Dhirendranath Burman, 45, a resident of Changhat village under Sitalkuchi police station, went to his agricultural field where he had planted jute but did not return.

“As my father did not return till the evening, we started searching for him. His body was found at a bamboo plantation in the village around 10.30pm. There were injury marks on his body and we suspect that he has been murdered with sharp weapons,” said Pallabi, the victim’s daughter.

The sources said Changhat village comes under booth number 124 of Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency where a several violent incidents, including firing by the CISF personnel, were reported ahead and during the Assembly polls.

“Dhirendranath was an active and popular party worker. After the election results, it seems Trinamul leaders could not accept their defeat in the seat and thus are attacking and killing our party workers,” said Kanak Burman, a block level BJP leader.

“ On Tuesday, a delegation of district leaders from the saffron camp went to the district magistrate’s office in Cooch Behar to submit a memorandum. They were alleging attacks by Trinamul and sought administrative intervention.

Malati Rava, the district BJP president, was critical at the Pawan Kadyan, the district magistrate and said that he did not meet the delegation and left the office.

Though Kadyan couldn’t be contacted, sources in the administration said he had spoken with the delegation and had asked them to submit the memorandum to an additional district magistrate.

“They might have submitted the memorandum to an ADM but the district magistrate had spoken with them. It would be wrong to raise questions at him,” said source.

“A probe is onofficials of Mathabhanga subdivision – Sitalkuchi is under this subdivision – said they haveinitiated. . We are waiting for the autopsy report to know the cause of the deathOur officers are probing the case and trying to gather information,” said Surajit Mondal, the SDPO of Mathabhanga.

Partha Pratim Roy, the district Trinamul president, demanded proper investigation of the incident. “It is unfortunate that the BJP is trying to foment tension at a time when people are distressed with the pandemic,” he said.