West Bengal: Congress calls for 12-hour strike in Jhalda over murder of party councillor Tapan Kandu

Kolkata: Congress has called for a 12-hour strike on Wednesday at Jhalda over the murder of party councillor Tapan Kandu.

The Jhalda area in Purulia turned into a battlefield after police and Congress supporters clashed after the party took out a rally while observing ‘Black Day’.

According to the dead councillor’s wife Purnima Kandu, the police ‘unnecessarily’ harassed them during their rally.

“There were several TMC supporters along with the police who had disrupted the rally in favour of my husband following which the Congress has called for a 12 hours strike at Jhalda on Wednesday,'' said Purnima.

Meanwhile, the municipal board at Jhalda on Tuesday was formed by ruling Trinamool Congress after few individual candidates lent support to TMC.

Even after forming the municipal board, ‘tension’ prevailed for the ruling party at Jhalda after an audio clip was released where a TMC supporter Amal Kandu was heard threatening dead Congress councilor Tapan Kandu for joining the Trinamool Congress.

However, Amal said that the audio clip is doctored.

On Monday, Calcutta High Court had ordered CBI probe in Tapan Kandu’s murder case. Citing certain inefficiencies in the probe by the SIT, the Calcutta High Court had asked the police to hand over all the papers to CBI and also instructed CBI to submit a report within 45 days.

“The CBI had asked for more time and claimed that they had several cases in their hands. But the court had asked them to submit the preliminary report within 45 days. The court also claimed that in order to bring back the faith of people in judiciary CBI inquiry is given,” said the High Court sources.

Welcoming the verdict, the wife of the deceased Congress councillor said that the police are involved in her husband’s killing.

“I demand capital punishment for the culprits. With the CBI probe now we know that the truth will come out. The police were trying to suppress facts in order to save the culprits. TMC is also involved in it as no one from the state government came to see my condition,” said Purnima Kandu.

It can be recalled that on Sunday Purilia SP Silva Murugan addressing the media claimed that IC is ‘clean’ and is not involved in the murder.

Published on: Tuesday, April 05, 2022, 10:30 PM IST