Trinamool Congress worker killed in West Bengal’s Bhatpara, triggers row

KOLKATA: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker having tea at a roadside stall was killed by three men in a suspected revenge killing in the Bhatpara area of the North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday, police said.
Barrackpore police commissioner Alok Rajoria said the deceased, Ashok Shaw, was an accused in the murder of an area resident Akash Prasad in 2020. Shaw was currently on bail in the murder case.
Rajoria said the incident took place at 9am. “Three men came walking and fired at Shaw when he was having tea at a roadside shop. The assailants also threw a bomb before escaping. We are carrying out an investigation,” Rajoria told the media at the crime scene.
The police officer said it was suspected that the attack was carried out by Prasad’s brother, Sujay, to avenge his brother’s death.
Shaw’s friend Sujit Singh said this was the second attack on Ashok. “He had a narrow escape in 2023. These crimes are a fallout of rivalry between various groups involved in criminal activities.”
Later in the evening, the district police said a man, identified as Kaushar Ali, who was named in the first information report (FIR) was arrested.
Since Bhatpara is located next to the Naihati seat, West Bengal BJP leader Shankudeb Panda alleged that the ruling party was trying to create panic among voters.
“We cannot say right now what exactly happened,” TMC’s Jagatdal legislator Somnath Shyam said.
The bypoll at Naihati was held because former minister Partha Bhowmick, who represented the seat, won the Barrackpore Lok Sabha election earlier this year defeating BJP’s sitting MP Arjun Singh.
“The murder, which took place within 50 mt of Bhatpara police station, exposes the condition of law and order at Jagatdal,” Arjun Singh said.
As many as 108 companies of central paramilitary forces were deployed across the six seats that went to polls.
The seats – Sitai (SC), Madarihat (ST), Naihati, Haroa, Midnapore and Taldangra – went to polls because the incumbent MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha. All parties fielded local candidates for the bypolls.
Five of these seats were won by TMC in 2021 while the sixth, Madarihat was with the BJP.