The State of West Bengal is witnessing a political furore after a 24-year-old BJP worker named Anupkumar Roy reportedly died in police custody in Raiganj. He was a driver by profession and a resident of Nandangram in Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
On August 28, miscreants robbed two businessmen of around a lac rupees on National Highway-34 at Ghughudanga in Raiganj in West Bengal. The police had initially arrested four people in connection to the incident. However, on Wednesday afternoon, Anup Kumar Roy was brought to the Raignaj police station for interrogation. According to the police officials, the BJP worker had fallen ill during his time at the police station. He was then rushed to the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Sumit Kumar, the district Superintendent of Raiganj police said, “Anup fainted during interrogation at the police station. He was then taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead. We had conducted the post-mortem of the deceased’s body in accordance with the law. The preliminary report has suggested that he had died of a brain haemorrhage.”
BJP accuses the police of working in cahoots with the TMC, conducting illegal autopsy
BJP President (Uttar Dinajpur) Biswajit Lahiri said, “Trinamool Congress and the police are working in tandem to attack BJP leaders, workers, and supporters. Earlier, TMC miscreants had murdered BJP MLA Debendranath Roy in Hemtabad and the sister of the BJP booth President in Chopragaj. This time, Anup was forcibly taken to the police station over a false case and was murdered by the police.” Lahiri had demanded a CBI investigation into the case.
According to the BJP General Secretary Basudeb Sarkar, the police had conducted the autopsy in haste by illegally taking out the body from the morgue. He accused the police of coercing the family members of Anup to sign on the papers that stated their ‘consent’ before the post-mortem. “Until the autopsy is conducted again, we will not allow his body to be taken out from the morgue,” he cautioned.
While speaking to reporters, state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said, “A BJP worker, who had joined the party 8 months ago after leaving CPIM, was pulled up from his house in Itahar by the police. He was then assaulted severely so much so that his kidney got destroyed. He was then taken to another place and was shot 5 times. His family members were not informed. The civic police picked up his body, conducted post-mortem at night, and then informed the family to take away the body. All of this is illegal. Why was he taken to the police station? Why was he assaulted by the cops? And most importantly, why were bullets fired at him?”
Besides, the official handle of BJP Bengal wrote, “Cold-blooded murder of BJP worker Anup Kumar Roy in POLICE CUSTODY in Raiganj. Postmortem (is) done hurriedly at night within 3 hours of death. Why the rush? Re-post-mortem and investigation a must. State administration is targeting BJP workers to stop BJP.”
Cold blooded murder of BJP worker Anup Kumar Roy in POLICE CUSTODY in Raiganj. Postmortem done hurriedly at night within 3 hours of death.
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) September 3, 2020
Why the rush? Re-post-mortem and investigation a must. State administration is targeting BJP workers to stop BJP. pic.twitter.com/QX2CeoXG9t
The culprits must die, vows Anup’s mother
On Thursday night, Anup’s mother Geeta filed a complaint with the Assistant Sub-Inspector against five policemen for beating Anup to death. Speaking to Anandabazar Patrika, Anup’s brother displayed his support on the accusations made by the BJP against the Raiganj police.
Speaking to ABP Ananda, the helpless mother of the BJP worker asked, “Why did police do this to my son? If he had done anything wrong, then, he should have been jailed? Why did they murder my son? Call the cops. I will ask them directly. They have left my heart empty. I curse them to reach the same fate as me.”
Desperate for justice, an emotional Geeta vowed, “The culprits must die. If they killed my son, then, I will avenge it. I want to see them dead.” She had also demanded a free and fair investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. While the BJP has launched a protest seeking for justice, the Trinamool Congress has accused the party of using his unnatural death to gain political mileage.
