45-year-old Punjabi Mahato is accused of murder of BJP worker Trilochan Mahato.
Police on Sunday made the first arrest in the murder of 18-year-old BJP worker Trilochan Mahato, whose body was found hanging from a tree in West Bengal's Purulia - almost three weeks ago.
Criminal Investigation Department of the West Bengal police arrested 45-year-old Punjabi Mahato today after his thorough interrogation in the case. The motive behind the murder is not clear yet, police said.
The arrest comes just days before BJP President Amit Shah's visit to the state. Mr Shah is expected to arrive in Kolkata on June 27, and travel to Purulia the following day.
18-year-old
Trilochan Mahato was hanging by a nylon rope not very far from his home at Supurdih village in Purulia's Balarampur block.
In his complaint, Hari Mahato named six supporters of Trinamool Congress."The arrested man is not named as a suspect in the father's police complaint," said Priyanka Tibrewal, a BJP affiliated lawyer who filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court.
Scrawled on the back and front of his white T-Shirt was a chilling message, repeated in a note found on a piece of paper left at his feet dangling just inches from the ground.
Roughly translated, the messages said, "This is for doing BJP politics from age 18. Been trying to kill you since the vote. Failed. Today you are dead."
Near the body, according to Trilochan's father, Hari Mahato's police complaint, a broken pen, a broken refill, a mobile, wallet, slippers were found flung around. And Trilochan's new bicycle.
The BJP has demanded a CBI inquiry. Trilochan, said BJP, had worked very hard during the recent Panchayat polls in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress suffered some setbacks in Purulia.