CBI sleuths on Thursday recovered the missing mobile phone of Niranjan Baishnab, a friend and key witness in the murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu, from the room in West Bengal's Purulia district where he was found hanging, a senior officer said. They also seized a pen of Baishnab from the same room at his residence here.

"The phone used by Baishnab had been missing from April 6, the day when his body was found. We have been searching for the device and today searched the room which was sealed since then. The phone was found lying beneath a table," the sleuth said. Baishnab had been Kandu's close friend and was present with the Congress leader the day when he was shot dead last month.

So far, four persons have been arrested in connection with the crime. The CBI sleuths had interrogated the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station in connection with the incident.

Kandu was shot dead near his residence on March 13 while he was on an evening stroll. He had won from ward number 2 of Jhalda Municipality for the fourth time in the civic polls held in February and was a popular leader in the area.

The murder happened weeks after the elections to Jhalda Municipality resulted in a hung house, with the Congress and Trinamul Congress having won five seats each and Independents securing two seats.