District police here on Sunday night claimed that two murders of BJP supporters last month had no connection with politics.

The clarifications came shortly after governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who was in Cooch Behar, visited the homes of both victims.

The BJP had claimed Trinamul's hand in both crimes. On Saturday, Bose visited their houses and expressed concern at the violence that erupted in Cooch Behar after the announcement of the rural polls.

Kumar Sunny Raj, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters), said they had cracked both cases.

“None of these incidents has any connection to politics. The motives behind the murders were different,” he said late on Sunday.

On June 2, Prasanta Roy Basunia, a BJP supporter, was gunned down at his home in Kalirpat on the outskirts of Dinhata town. On June 17, Shambhu Das, the brother-in-law of a BJP rural poll candidate, was stabbed to death at Tiyadaha village under Sahebganj police station of Dinhata.

“During the probe, it has been found that Shambhu Das used to run a sex racket in the garb of a coaching centre in the locality. There is evidence that minor girls were engaged in the racket. One of Shambhu's own cousins was also involved in it,” said the ASP.

Sources said that on the day of the murder, Shambhu had a spat with this cousin while they were both drinking. A minor girl was also present. Allegedly, in the heat of the moment, the cousin took out a dagger and stabbed him.

“We have arrested the cousin and recorded the girl’s statements. Our officers are gathering some more information,” said the police officer.

On Basunia’s murder, he said it was the fallout of an altercation between him and his aides.

“During an altercation over certain issues, some people opened fire. The bullets hit Prasanta Roy Basunia and he died. Two persons were arrested in this connection. They have admitted to the crime. It has nothing to do with politics,” said Raj.

Trinamul leaders said that the police statement vindicated what Bengal's ruling party had been saying all along.

“It has been proved that none of these two persons died in political violence. Yet the BJP raised baseless charges against us. The party is desperate to do politics whenever there is a crime. Such cheap tactics will not work,” said Parthapratim Roy, Trinamul’s spokesperson in Cooch Behar.

Sukumar Roy, BJP’s district president, said the police are acting at the behest of Trinamul.

“Some Trinamul leaders had come up with similar theories after the murders. Now, the state police are also singing to their tunes. What else can we expect from them,” he said.