TMC men run amok over ‘BJP’ activist’s murder

SILIGURI: Trinamool Congress activists in Siliguri set an office and a house ablaze and blocked NH-31 for three hours to protest the murder of a youth who they claimed was their party supporter.
Ironically, BJP workers claimed that Dipankar Roy had switched over to their party on November 7. To substantiate their claim, they showed a picture of Roy sharing the dais with party MP S S Ahluwalia, a saffron scarf around his neck.
Roy, alias Chhotu, 28, who is said to have been instrumental in arresting three drug peddlers recently, was murdered on Sunday night. He was riding pillion on the bike of a friend, Sayen Biswas, when a few men stopped them near Bhaktinagar police station. As the men dragged Roy away, Biswas ran to the police station for help. But police allegedly did not act immediately. Roy’s body was found later in the night with injuries that suggest he might have been lynched.
On Monday, Trinamool supporters ran amok, claiming Roy was their party-man. Led by senior Trinamool leaders like Krishna Paul, they ransacked the syndicate office of prime accused Mon Kumar Rai near Bhaktinagar police station and set it on fire.
They went on to set up a blockade on NH-31, bringing hundreds of vehicles to and from Sikkim, Kalimpong and the Dooars to a standstill, resulting in the harassment of thousands of commuters for three hours. A large contingent of policemen, however, stood watching.
Emboldened by this, the mob set Rai’s house on fire right in front of the cops. Though Rai has gone into hiding, police have arrested three persons — Krishna Rai, Ganesh Chhetri and Milan Rai.
North Bengal development minister Goutam Deb claimed that Rai was a local committee member of CPM. CPM leader Jibesh Sarkar said they would find out whether Rai is a party member.