Bengal police says that Debendra Nath Ray died of suicide, state Home secretary said (File)
A day a BJP MLA from West Bengal was found hanging at a shop, senior leaders of the BJP met President Ram Nath Kovind to complain about the "killing" and "unabated" lawlessness in the state and demand the dissolution of the state Assembly. The party has blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for the "cold-blooded murder"of Debendra Nath Ray, an MLA from Hemtabad.
Just an hour or so later, the state home secretary told media that on the basis of the autopsy report and after examining attendant circumstances, eye witnesses accounts and evidence, "West Bengal police prima facie is of the opinion that this is a case of suspected suicide."
"All injuries are apparently ante-mortem. There is a non-contiguous mark on his neck and some pressure abrasions and they were all ante-mortem," home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said. The civil surgeon was quoted stating that "death was due to effects of hanging ante mortem in nature".
On the basis of a suicide note, police are investigating two men named who may be involved in "para-banking or money lending activity" and suspect Mr Ray may have run into financial problems. The chemical report of the autopsy is awaited.
Home secretary Bandopadhyay also said the government condemns all murders and is particularly interested in finding the truth behind the incident.
"Investigation will be taken to its logical end...No political or extraneous considerations will be allowed to interfere with the pursuit of the truth through impartial investigation," he added.
He also confirmed that the probe is now with the Bengal government's Criminal Investigation Department (CID). But in Delhi, BJP leaders told the President they had no confidence in any state police outfit conducting a free and fair probe and demanded a CBI inquiry.
The delegation was headed by the party's general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who is from Bengal, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta were also part of the delegation. They also met Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded a CBI probe.
Mr Vijayvargiya said the Home Minister has sought a report from Bengal police on the matter.
Meanwhile, a part of north Bengal saw partial impact of a 12-hour bandh call by the BJP to protest the "killing" of the MLA. There were reports of a lathicharge on BJP protestors in Cooch Behar. BJP claimed 80 of its workers were arrested in Phulbari. The BJP has said they will gherao police stations across the state tomorrow.