The CBI probe into the murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu pointed to a longstanding family feud behind his murder, not to any larger political motive.
The special investigating team (SIT) of Purulia police had also claimed the same motive behind the March 13 murder at Jhalda, Purulia.
However, the case was handed over to the central agency following a court directive when Kandu’s wife alleged the hand of local Trinamul leaders and police.
Sources said the CBI chargesheet indicated two prime motives — feud between Kandu and his cousin Naren Kandu over property and defeat of Naren’s son Dipak in the February civic polls that Kandu won. Dipak had contested unsuccessfully as a Trinamul candidate from ward 2 of Jhalda against his uncle.
Sources said Kandu had a property feud with Naren for six years, but the enmity increased after Dipak’s defeat.
“The enmity reached such a height that Naren wanted to eliminate Tapan and hired a contract killer for Rs 7 lakh,” the source added.
The CBI filed its first chargesheet in this case before the Purulia district and sessions court on June 13, 71 days after they took over the probe from SIT of Purulia police following the high court directive. The CBI sought permission from the court to carry on with probe into the case which the court granted.
In the chargesheet, the CBI accused five persons — Naren, Dipak, Kalebar Singh, Md Ashik Khan and Satyaban Pramanik, who are all in judicial custody — with murder and conspiracy.
Only Pramanik, Naren’s business partner, was arrested by the CBI. The rest were arrested by the SIT.
Tapan’s wife Purnima, also a Congress councillor at Jhalda civic body, had claimed a large political motive behind the murder. “My husband was murdered by a conspiracy hatched by local Trinamul leaders and inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station Sanjib Ghosh. Naren and Dipak both were Trinamul leaders and behind the murder. I have faith in the CBI and they will do proper probe,” she said.
The CBI did not include the name of Ghosh in its chargesheet.
But the CBI can file a supplementary chargesheet with more names, said a source.
A bypoll is scheduled at ward 2 of Jhalda municipality on June 26. The Congress has fielded Tapan’s nephew Mithun from the ward.
