Defeated Bengal BJP Candidate Dies After "Assault"; CBI Probe Demanded

A BJP leader of West Bengal, who lost the assembly election from a seat in South 24 Parganas district and was allegedly assaulted by Trinamool Congress workers in May, died at a hospital on Wednesday, his family members said.

Alleging that Dhurjati Saha suffered head injuries in an attack on May 2, the day of counting of votes, in the Magrahat Paschim constituency, his wife and son demanded a CBI investigation into the incident.

Local Trinamool MLA Giasuddin Mollah said he does not know who assaulted Saha as he was inside the counting centre at that time.

"He was beaten up by the henchmen of local Trinamool MLA after counting trends showed he (Saha) was trailing. He had to be admitted to the hospital the next day," said BJP MP Arjun Singh who visited the hospital at Thakurpukur in South 24 Parganas district after Saha's death.

Claiming that it was another instance of post-poll atrocities by the Trinamool against its political opponents, Mr Singh said they would take up the matter with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) soon.

Accepting the recommendations of an NHRC panel, the Calcutta High Court on August 19 ordered a CBI investigation into all alleged cases of heinous crimes like rape and murder.

Saha's wife alleged that her husband was beaten up outside the counting centre in Magrahat by three-four Trinamool activists who were close to Mr Mollah and the police, even after being informed, did not come to his rescue when he had sought their help.

"He could be taken back home much later at the intervention of local BJP leaders and some residents of the area. As his condition deteriorated, he was taken to a hospital," she said.

"We demand CBI probe into the incident and arrest of those behind the attack," Saha's son and wife said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)