West Bengal: BJP leader Raju Jha shot dead, no arrests yet

Kolkata: BJP leader and alleged coal mafia Raju Jha was shot dead by some unknown miscreants on Saturday late evening in Burdwan’s Shaktigarh area.

According to the police, after killing Jha, the miscreants abandoned the ‘blue’ car in which they were travelling in fear of getting identified, and possibly left the place by train.

At the time of reporting, almost after 24 hours, the forensic department had reached the spot and collected at least 13 empty bullet shells.

Political slugfest started after the news surfaced about Jha's murder.

Former Union Minister and present TMC minister Babul Supriyo slammed BJP national vice president and former BJP Bengal observer Kailash Vijayvargiya for inducting the ‘coal mafia’ in BJP.

“Jha owned a hotel and BJP leaders used to do meetings there. Just to malign me, beneath my posters in courtesy, Raju Jha’s name was mentioned. Now BJP leaders will say that they don’t know Jha,” slammed Babul.

Raising the question over the murder, BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh said that Jha had given names of those involved in coal scam to CBI, for which he was murdered so that he doesn’t speak further.

It may be noted that Jha was seen inside the car of coal mafia Adbul Latif. According to the CBI, Latif is absconding.

Several questions are now being raised as to who is behind the murder of Jha.

Former police personnel Pankaj Dutta said, “No one has been arrested so far and it is really unfortunate. Raju Jha was a storehouse of information regarding the coal scam and would have been useful in the probe.”