Adhir Chowdhury demands court-monitored CBI probe into murder of Congress councillor in West Bengal; slams TMC government

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into the killing of party councillor Tapan Kandu and the mysterious death of student activist Anis Khan in West Bengal.

A four-time Congress councillor of Jhalda Municipality in West Bengal's Purulia district, Kandu was shot dead on Sunday.

Raising the issues during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury alleged the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal, was involved in the murder of Kandu in collusion with a section of the police.

About the death of 18-year old Khan last month, Chowdhury, who is also the state Congress chief, claimed that elections can no longer be held independently in the state amid the prevailing "lawlessness".

"I demand a court-monitored CBI inquiry into the murder of Kandu and Khan. I urge the Human Rights Commission, Scheduled Caste Commission and the Minorities Commission that they also demand such an inquiry," Chowdhury said.

Anis Khan's family members have alleged that he was pushed off the second floor of their residence at Amta in Howrah district on the night of February 18 by four people with one donning a police uniform and the others wearing the dress of civic volunteers.

Addressing the House, DMK MP T R Baalu said more than seven bills have been passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and sent to the Governor for his assent but those were still awaiting his nod.

"Are we running a jungle raj?... How can we run a government," he asked, adding the Constitution has given the power to Governors in giving assent to Bills passed by the state assembly.

Congress member from Kerala Dean Kuriakose sought the External Affairs minister's intervention in the case of a 33-year-old woman, Nimisha Priya, jailed in Yemen for the alleged killing of a Yemeni national.

"It (killing) happened accidentally in the nature of self-protection... I urge the external affairs minister to intervene in this case for immediate relief of Nimisha Priya from Yemen jail," Kuriakose said.