A day after a BJP delegation met President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his attention to what they called a TMC-sponsored “cold blooded murder” of Debendranath Roy, a saffron MLA from Hemtabad in North Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to the first citizen blaming the BJP for “distorting” a “suspected suicide” for “political gains.”
The letter handed over to the President by senior TMC MP Derek O’ Brien also dropped hints of a possible bank scam with the unnatural death of the BJP Legislator.
Banerjee wrote, “…This is in the context of your meeting with a delegation of BJP who might have appraised you with some distorted fact.” The letter further said that the dead MLA’s body was “found on a hanging condition from a tin shed/verandah in front of a mobile shop which he used to visit to meet the local people. On receipt of post mortem and on primary investigation, West Bengal Police has reported that it is a case of suspected suicide and could be related to some local money transfer activities.”
The note found in the pocket of the deceased leader referred to two names --- out of whom one had been arrested --- who were “allegedly found to be related to such money transfer activities in the locality,” Banerjree wrote adding “I am sorry to say that it does not appear to be a political case being projected by BJP.”
Roy died an unnatural death reportedly in the wee hours of Monday by hanging from a bar outside a shop about a mile away from his house. The BJP instantly picked up the issue calling it a cold-blooded murder and called a North Bengal bandh on Tuesday.
O Brien who met the President for 25 minutes on Wednesday later said”our Chief Minister has explained the entire in details to the President telling how the BJP is trying to politicize the issue.”
The TMC leadership said that Roy’s death might have links withdisappearance of Rs 2.6 crore from a mini bank in the area of whichthe MLA was a secretary. An inquiry was already being conducted by
Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Banks (ARCS). During the probe ithas been found that out of Rs 4.97 crore deposited in the bank only Rs2.37 accounted for whereas there was no trace of remaining Rs 2.6crore, it was alleged.
Both the police and the AECS were investigating the matter, the TMCleadership said adding things would come out after inquiry.
Meanwhile, a TMC leader from Barrackpore, Dharmendra Singh wasseriously wounded when he was fired at by alleged BJP goons, StateMinister JP Mullick said. Singh was shot in the head but the bulletpierced the side of the skull, sources said adding he had been shifted to Kolkata for treatment.
Local BJP MP Arjun Singh refuted the TMC leader’s claims saying theincident was the result of a clash of interest between local Trinamoolcouncilor and the injured person.