Police are yet to achieve any breakthrough in the case related to the firing at a roadside eatery near Islampur in North Dinajpur district on Saturday night, killing a Trinamul Congress leader and injuring another.
The family members of Bapi Roy, the 35-year-old slain leader and husband of Lipi Roy, a member of Islampur panchayat samiti, have demanded a CBI probe.
Gouranga, the bereaved father, said the family suspected that a conspiracy was hatched to murder his son.
“He was at home but was called to the roadside ‘dhaba’ for some urgent discussions. He went out and was shot. It is surprising that only two of them were hit by bullets even though there were some others. We want a CBI probe into the incident,” he said.
Lipi, who was inconsolable, echoed her father-in-law. “The attackers have ruined my family. I want justice. A CBI investigation would only unveil the truth,” she said.
Bapi Roy
Mohammad Sajjad, another TMC leader and the husband of the pradhan of Ramganj 2, a panchayat located under Islampur block, was shot in his back. He is under treatment at a private nursing home in Siliguri.
“We were discussing some tenders of the panchayat. Suddenly, some people came and started firing at us. I tried to escape but was shot in my back. I have no idea who these people were,” he said.
After the incident, senior police officers rushed to the spot. They recovered the CCTV footage of the eatery and are scanning it to gather information about the assailants. The police have also spoken to the owner and some staff of the eatery.
Joby Thomas, the superintendent of police of Islampur police district, said they are working on certain information.
“We are trying to find out whether the attackers were local or from Bihar. Also, our officers are working on information to ascertain the motive behind the attack. Search operations are on,” he said.
Police sources said during the preliminary investigation, they found that the attackers had conducted a recce of the “dhaba” and carried out the attack in a planner manner.
“Bapi Das and his associates would often visit the eatery and used to sit in a specific place. The assailants walked up to the place directly and fired at them,” said a source.
Bapi, sources said, was earlier arrested from the same eatery for being involved in a racket that sells spurious liquor.
A trader based in Raiganj who has witnessed the attack narrated his ordeal. He was returning from Siliguri in a car with his mother and had stopped at the eatery to sip a cup of tea.
“I went to the washroom and suddenly heard gunshots. I locked myself in the washroom. After some time, I came out and found people running here and there. Fortunately, my mother, who was seated in the car, was safe while the driver had taken shelter in a nearby tea stall. Soon after, we left the spot and reached home,” said the trader on condition of anonymity.
District BJP leaders have also condemned the attack. “It is an unfortunate incident but it has also led to questions. Why would a meeting related to the affairs of a panchayat be held in a ‘dhaba’? Also, the demand raised by the victim’s family for a CBI probe hints that even TMC leaders and office-bearers do not have faith in the state police,” said Surajit Sen, a vice-president of the BJP in North Dinajpur.
On Sunday afternoon, as Bapi’s body reached the area from North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, a section of TMC supporters resorted to protests and blocked a local road at Madaripur near Islampur, demanding immediate arrests of the attackers.
As a result, traffic came to a halt on that stretch of the highway.
Police reached the spot and could disperse them after an hour.
Kanaialal Agarwala, the district TMC president, said they have confidence in the police.
“The family is shocked over the gruesome murder and can demand a CBI probe. We are not opposing it. We believe the police will crack the case soon and make necessary arrests,” he said.
