BJP worker's death caused by hanging, reveals autopsy

BJP state spokesperson maintains party worker Arjun Chowrasia was murdered

Union home minister Amit Shah at Cossipore last week to meet the bereaved family of Arjun Chowrasia : Sourced by The Telegraph

Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |   Calcutta   |   11.05.22: The Bengal unit of the BJP suffered loss of face when the autopsy report of deceased party worker Arjun Chowrasia revealed hanging as the cause of death, which state police had also maintained in their preliminary probe.

Chowrasia, a resident of Cossipore, was found hanging inside abandoned railway quarters on May 6. The Bengal unit of the BJP hit the streets alleging that he was murdered by Trinamul goons and his body was hanged to make it look like suicide.

Union home minister Amit Shah, who was visiting the state then, met the bereaved family, demanded a CBI probe  and spoke about the culture of “political murders” in Bengal under the Trinamul regime.

“We had plans to make it a big issue and organise protests across the state... The post mortem report derailed the plan at least for the time being and is an embarrassment,” said a senior state BJP leader.

After Chowrasia’s death, the BJP took up the matter to the high court stating that a post-mortem in a state-run hospital may hide the truth, following which the court ordered the autopsy at Command Hospital at Alipore, a facility run by the army.

After the autopsy report, the BJP leadership tried to put up a brave face in public. Priyanka Tibrewal, BJP's advocate and a member of the party youth wing, said she didn’t believe Chowrasia killed himself.

“It (death by hanging) doesn’t necessarily mean he had committed suicide. He could have been forcefully hanged,” she said before adding that the BJP would wait for the viscera report, which may indicate he was “drugged and hanged”.

She did not say what made her deviate from the earlier narrative in which her party had claimed he was first murdered and hanged or why she was still so sure about murder.

Junior union minister Subhash Sarkar said Chowrasia might have hanged himself out of depression.

“It is true that the PM report has come. But the question is why did he hang himself? Why was he so depressed? Was he under any threat?” Sarkar said, hinting that Chowrasia might have received threats from Trinamul.

BJP's chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya refused to react on the contradictory statements. He said Chowrasia was busy with party work till late the day before he died.

He stressed the party's stand remains the same, that Chowrasia was murdered and hanged.

State BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, MLA Agnimitra Paul and MP Saumitra Khan went to Raj Bhawan with the kin of party supporter allegedly killed in the post-poll violence. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he would do whatever possible in his capacity to ensure justice for them..

He added that if the victims of the Bogtui killings can get financial help from the government, why not the families of the ones who have lost their lives in post-poll violence. He said he would speak to the chief minister about this.