Mithun Ghosh, the North Dinajpur district vice-president of the BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, was not murdered on Sunday night but died in an “accidental firing”, police said on Monday.
Mithun, 32, was fatally injured by a bullet near his home in Rajgram, a locality under Itahar police station of the district on the fringes of Raiganj. His relatives rushed him to Raiganj government hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
State and district BJP leaders had accused Trinamul of orchestrating the attack. Trinamul denied the charge.
Police ruled out any “political element” and said Mithun was killed accidentally by an illegal firearm. According to the officers, Mithun had an improvised pipe gun and a 9mm pistol, both illegal, with him. On Sunday night, his friends Santosh Mohanta and Sukumar Ghosh came near his home and wanted to see the firearms, police said. While they were checking out the firearms, a round got fired from the pistol Sukumar held, and hit Mithun in his abdomen, police said, adding that as he collapsed, the duo fled.
“On way to the hospital, Mithun told his nephew how he was shot by Sukumar. Our officers are searching for him. We arrested Santosh and he confirmed the incident” said Arsh Sharma, additional SP of Raiganj police district.
BJP leaders, however, are insisting it is murder orchestrated by Trinamul and have called an eight-hour general strike from 6am on Tuesday across North Dinajpur.
“Mithun was an active party worker and ahead of the Assembly polls had received threats. Those who shot him are Trinamul supporters. Police and administration are not acting neutrally and are trying to hide the political identities of attackers,” said Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP chief.
Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, said the same.
Trinamul leaders denied the charges. “It is an unfortunate incident but police probe revealed that the BJP youth wing leader had illegal firearms on him . The BJP is falsely trying to implicate us as it is fast losing ground in North Dinajpur district,” said Mosaraf Hossain, Trinamul MLA of Itahar.
