The wife of a BJP supporter who died last Wednesday at a village under Gazole police station of Malda district has accused the Trinamul pradhan of the panchayat and another leader of the party of killing her husband.

Dhananjay Sarkar, 50, was vocal against corruption of the pradhan and some of his aides, and was thus murdered, alleged his wife Latika.

Local BJP leaders have rallied around Latika while Trinamul has distanced itself from the incident.

Sources said on Wednesday, Dhananjay, a resident of Khoslabari village under Bairgachi -I panchayat, went to attend a cultural event and never returned. The next morning, people found him lying on a deserted spot with serious injuries.

“We took him to Malda Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. Subodh Sarkar, who heads the Trinamul-run board of Bairgachi-I panchayat, and his aides have murdered him. They have siphoned funds meant for the 100-days-work scheme and my husband protested against the corruption,” said Latika.

According to the villagers, a few months back. Dhananjay and his family board put on the bank of a pond he owned, saying a sum of Rs 4.12 lakh was spent on digging it under MGNREGS.

Dhananjoy and his family, who privately maintained the pond, protested, said sources. The family filed written complaints with the block and district administration. When there was no response, Dhananjoy went to Calcutta High Court to file a case, Latika said.

On Saturday, she filed a complaint at Gazole police station, accusing Subodh and Emdadur Rahaman, the Trinamul president of the panchayat.

“We have come to know that when he went to see the cultural event, these people had threatened him with dire consequences. Soon after, he was murdered,” the wife said.

As the news spread, a delegation of BJP leaders, including Malda north MP Khagen Murmu and Shankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA of Siliguri, visited the village and met the family yesterday.

“The brutal murder of Dhananjay has brought to fore again the unprecedented corruption at the panchayat level. We would go to any extent to seek justice for his family members,” said Murmu.

Senior police officers of the district said a murder case has been registered at Gazole police station. Also, Subodh, sources said, has been quizzed but Rahaman has not been called by the police so far.

“We are probing the case. It is too early to comment on it,” said an officer.

Subodh, when contacted, claimed that he had been falsely implicated into the case. Rahaman, on the other hand, said his party leaders will speak on the issue.

District Trinamul leaders have, however, distanced themselves from the incident.

“Law will take its own course. There is no question of shielding anyone. BJP is simply trying to politicize the issue,” said Dinesh Tudu, the Trinamul president of Gazole block.