The body of a CPM leader based in Dalkhola of North Dinajpur district was found on Monday with multiple injuries, sparking tension in the area and prompting the CPM leadership to accuse Trinamul of attacking him.

Police have started probing the incident but no arrests were reported till Monday evening when this report was filed.

Sources said Rafiq Alam, 56, a branch secretary of the Poaltor branch committee of CPM under Dalkhola area committee of North Dinajpur, had gone missing since Sunday.

“On Monday morning, some local residents spotted his body in a bush near a petrol pump in Raniganj area of Dalkhola. There were multiple injuries on the victim’s body that appeared to have been made by a sharp weapon and we suspect he has been hacked to death,” said a police officer.

In the past one month, this is the second incident when a CPM leader has been murdered in Islampur subdivision of the district.

Earlier, on January 17, Guruchand Roy, another CPM leader based in Suryapur area of Dalkhola, was shot dead by a group of miscreants.

“We suspect Trinamul-backed goons were behind the attack. Rafiq is the second leader of our party who has been murdered in the past one month. We want the police to probe impartially and find out the murderers,” Apurba Pal, the district CPM secretary of North Dinajpur.

Trinamul leaders however, have denied the charges. Monodev Sinha, the Trinamul MLA of Karandighi, said

their party has no connection with the incident. “CPM leaders are making baseless allegations. We want the police to find out the truth,” the MLA said.

Police said they are probing the case.