Civic body chief shot dead on GT Road in Hooghly

Bhadreswar: The chairman of the Trinamool-run Bhadreswar Municipality in Hooghly was killed on Grand Trunk Road, around 30km from Kolkata, late on Tuesday, creating the spectre of another round of bloodletting in the jute mill belt and triggering allegations and counter-allegations among political parties.
Manoj Upadhyay set off for his home at Gatebazar from Jai Bharat Sangha club around 11pm, riding pillion on a motorcycle, when a man presumably known to him flagged down the bike as it approached a popular ceremonial house near the local police station.More than a dozen men immediately surrounded the bike and, after an altercation, someone from the group whipped out a gun and shot Upadhyay from point blank range. Chintu Dubey, who was riding the bike, raised an alarm, prompting the miscreants to flee.

Locals heard Dubey’s screams and reached the spot and found Upadhyay lying on the ground with bullet wounds on his chest and belly. He was taken to Chandernagore Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. People hit the street in the dead of night as news of the murder spread beyond Bhadreswar to neighbouring Champdani and Chandernagore. Even Trinamool Congress workers were heard wondering aloud whether it was safe to continue in politics.
Dubey later named Raju Shaw and Ratan Chowdhury among those who accosted Upadhyay. Munna Rai, the person who had flagged down Upadhyay, was arrested but cops were still looking for Shaw and Chowdhury. Police have initiated a case under Sections 302, 120B and 34 for murder and criminal conspiracy) and do not rule out the involvement of hired goons.
Chandernagore police commissioner Piyush Pandey said: “We have arrested Rai, who was known to Upadhyay. We will interrogate him and get leads on the others in the group.”
Trinamool-run Champdani Municipality chairman Suresh Mishra criticised the police. “Two high-profile persons have been killed in the area in quick succession. Is Bhadreswar outside Bengal? What are cops doing?” Mishra asked, demanding a CID probe into the killing.
The jute mill belt has seen a surge in crimes in recent years. The CEO of a jute mill was lynched at the mill gate in June 2014 and, earlier this May, a Rashtriya Rifles sepoy from the area was beaten up when he refused to cough up Rs 8 lakh demanded by extortionists.
Sensing disquiet in the ranks, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress MP, Abhishek Banerjee, and state municipal affairs Firhad Hakim rushed to Bhadreswar in the evening. They told cops to arrest the criminals, failing which Banerjee herself would have to intervene. Their presence did not stop party workers from displaying Upadhyay’s body on G T Road for 30 minutes.
Locals said Upadhyay had filed a complaint against friend-turned-foe Shaw at Bhadreswar police station, apprehending an attack. Police claimed they offered to provide him security, which he refused.
“Upadhyay was a daredevil. He played a key role in the development of the area and believed that no one could challenge him. This overconfidence proved fatal,” Trinamool minister and Hooghly veteran Tapan Dasgupta said.
Shaw was a constant presence by Upadhyay’s side during the 2015 civic polls but the friendship soured a month ago over a proposal that was mooted by Upadhyay at the municipality. Those in the know said Upadhyay proposed reclamation of about 100 bighas belonging to North Shyamnagar Jute Mill near Telenipara to set up an amusement park.
A section of mill workers had occupied the land and set up cowsheds with the help of party toughs and Upadhyay tried to negotiate with them, offering them substitute land in the vicinity. The encroachers opposed Upadhyay’s plans but the civic chairman decided to go ahead with his plans and held a municipality meeting on Monday. Some believe he paid with his life for this decision.
Politicians jumped into the scene, claiming Upadhyay to be their man. “He was an RSS old-timer. He was energetic, helpful and honest and was fighting against a section of corrupt Trinamool leaders,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.
Minister Hakim rubbished the claims: “Upadhyay used to come to my office. He worked tirelessly for the area and was a friend in need for locals. Followers of Nathuram Godse have killed him,” he said.