Kolkata — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named 18 additional accused, including a sitting Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA and two Kolkata civic councillors, in its second supplementary chargesheet in the 2021 murder of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar.
This marks the first time TMC leaders have been named in the case, which stems from the violent post-election clashes that erupted in West Bengal after the May 2, 2021 Assembly election results.
Top TMC Leaders Now Accused
According to senior CBI officials, the following leaders are named:
- Paresh Paul, MLA from Beleghata
- Swapan Samaddar, councillor of Ward 56
- Papiya Ghosh, councillor of Ward 30
The 2021 Killing That Sparked Political Uproar
Shortly after the TMC’s victory in 2021, Abhijit Sarkar, a BJP worker, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Kolkata’s Narkeldanga area.
“A mob tied a television wire around my brother’s neck and dragged him along the road. They smashed his head with a stone,”
said Biswasjit Sarkar, the victim’s brother.
The incident became a flashpoint in the larger political violence that plagued West Bengal in the wake of the elections.
TMC Reacts: ‘Politically Motivated’
Responding to the chargesheet, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh called it a politically timed move:
“This chargesheet is nothing but a political leaflet. It has been filed under pressure from the BJP as the assembly elections are coming. A chargesheet is not the ultimate truth. This won’t stand in the court.”
MLA Paresh Paul, when asked about the development, declined to comment.
“I don’t know anything about this. So, I won’t comment.”
CBI Takes Over From Kolkata Police
- Initially, Kolkata Police filed a chargesheet on August 6, 2021, naming 15 accused, with no mention of the TMC leaders now charged.
- On August 19, 2021, the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI, which later filed an FIR on August 25.
- The first supplementary chargesheet was submitted on September 30, 2021, naming 20 persons.
- The latest chargesheet brings the total number of accused to 38.
Political Fallout and Ongoing Probe
Last week, the CBI also arrested Arun Dey alias “Bhai”, one of the prime accused, after a four-year manhunt.
BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya reacted to the charges:
“This was waiting to happen. There were allegations that these leaders had incited TMC workers through their speeches.”
As the CBI intensifies its probe, political tensions between the BJP and TMC are likely to escalate in the run-up to the next assembly elections.