Hooghly: BJP minority cell member killed in clash, four arrested

The area remained tensed on Monday following the incidents of violence.  Police said victim Sheikh Amir Ali, an e-rickshaw driver in the area, was an active member of the minority cell of the BJP. He was allegedly beaten up during the group clash on Sunday afternoon and succumbed to his injuries at Calcutta Medical College in Kolkata.

An FIR was lodged by Ali’s family naming a few people, of whom two were arrested. The police also nabbed two others not named in the FIR. “We have arrested four people in the case. Investigation is on. Motive of the murder is yet to be known. He had multiple injuries on body, but we are waiting for the post-mortem report,” said a senior police officer.

According to the police, Chhobi Bibi and Tagari Bibi, who were named in the FIR, were accused of instigating the group to attack the BJP worker. Sources said two groups clashed over an old issue, during which Ali was attacked with iron rods.

As per sources, deceased Ali was earlier with the CPM, before joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.  “He was a worker of our minority cell. The way he was murdered is so brutal in nature. We have called for a bandh in Arambagh Wednesday. We want the police to do a proper probe into the case,” said BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu.

The TMC, on the other hand, accused the BJP of “playing dirty politics”.

“Since yesterday (Sunday), the BJP goons have vandalised at least four of our party offices and we have also spoken to the police about it. As always, the BJP is playing dirty politics by blaming the TMC for a murder, which is a fallout of personal enmity,” said TMC district president Dilip Yadav.