Bengal CM says former deputy speaker may have faced threats after being found dead

Suvendu Adhikari said the purported suicide note, written on the former MLA's letterhead and recovered from the party office, would be examined.

PTI, August 16, 2026, Kolkata : Hours after West Bengal Assembly's former deputy speaker Ashis Banerjee was found hanging at a TMC office, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday expressed apprehension that corrupt elements within the opposition party might have threatened him.

He said the purported suicide note, written on the former MLA's letterhead and recovered from the party office, would be examined.

The note stated that no one was responsible for Banerjee's death and expressed regret over entering politics. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.

"The handwritten suicide note that has been recovered on Ashish Banerjee's letterhead pad will be investigated. The handwriting will also be examined," Adhikari said.

Mourning the death of the veteran TMC leader, the chief minister said he had asked police to stand by the bereaved family and would investigate whether Banerjee had been threatened.

He expressed apprehension that corrupt elements within the TMC might have threatened him.