The West Bengal Police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar. He was chased and gunned down by four armed miscreants mounted on two motorbikes in Malda’s Jhaljhalia More area.
The police produced three of them in a Malda court on Friday (January 3, 2025). They have been remanded in 14-day police custody.
Meanwhile, three more suspects have been detained and the investigation is on, police sources said.
While a team from the West Bengal Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited the spot on Friday, CID sources said that the agency is not taking up the case.
Trinamool Congress Minister Firhad Hakim, who visited the spot on Thursday, told mediapersons on Friday that the people behind Sarkar’s murder must be nabbed soon.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is overseeing the entire investigation and has instructed the Director General of Police to look into it,” Mr. Hakim said. “We have to expose the people behind our leader’s murder, none should be spared. This is our demand.”
On Thursday, Mr. Hakim was faced with protests from bereaved local party workers who demanded to know why a senior leader of the party did not have security and asked for the removal of the Superintendent of Police and District Magistrate.
The deceased was a six-time councillor of Ward 22 of the Englishbazar municipality in Malda and vice-chairperson of the party’s district unit.
He was shot dead on Thursday morning close to his house in Malda by motorbike-borne assailants. He was caught on CCTV footage running into a shop for safety when two shooters opened fire from behind.
He was declared dead at Malda Medical College and Hospital.
Ms. Banerjee expressed shock and grief at the news of Mr. Sarkar’s passing and accused the police of negligence. “One of my long-time colleagues got murdered today because of the ineffectiveness of the Superintendent of Police. His security was removed and he was attacked earlier as well,” she said on Thursday.
She had also instructed the Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar to take “stern steps” with the intelligence wing. “They do not keep information or share information. They do not take their posts seriously. There can be no lobbying within the police,” she had said.
On Friday morning, Sarkar’s body was cremated in Malda in the presence of his family and numerous Trinamool Congress leaders, councillors, workers, and supporters.
The attack on Sarkar follows multiple instances of attacks and murder attempts directed at Trinamool Congress leaders in the last five years. Recently, an unsuccessful attempt was made towards Trinamool councillor from Kasba.
In 2019, Trinamool MLA from Krishnaganj in Nadia district Satyajit Biswas was shot dead in public in the Majhdia area. In 2022, a two-time Trinamool councillor from Panihati in North 24 Parganas, Anupam Dutta, was also shot dead in public.
Since Sarkar’s murder, questions have been raised regarding the law and order situation in the State.
Published – January 04, 2025 10:10 am IST
