Congress man among two councillors killed in Bengal

Two newly-elected councillors, including a Congress councillor from Purulia's Jhalda, have been shot dead at point blank range, ahead of the formation of the municipal civic boards. Elections were held to 108 civic bodies across the state recently in which the Trinamool Congress had recorded a landslide victory. The alleged murders have created a furore in Bengal's political circles.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed concern and sought a report on the issue, sources at the state secretariat, Nabanna, told ET. Of the two murders, Purulia's Jhalda Congress councillor Tapan Kundu was shot dead on Sunday. Police have detained two of his relatives -- Naren and Deepak Kandu -- in this connection. Tapan's wife claimed that Jhalda Police Station In-Charge (IC) regularly called the deceased Kandu to intimidate him. "My husband was regularly intimidated by the Jhalda IC, Trinamool leaders and the relatives who were detained. We are scared about our security," she told ET.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee Chief and Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury visited Tapan's home. "Tapan Kandu was intimidated by Trinamool leaders. When he refused to surrender to their demands, he was murdered," Chowdhury said.


Meanwhile, another Trinamool Councillor from Panihati, Anupam Dutta, was killed at point blank range and the police have arrested one Amit Pandit in this connection. The locals chased Amit Pandit and helped the police arrest him. Amit alias Sambhu Pandit has been remanded to 10-day judicial custody. The locals protested the death of Dutta who was a popular face in the locality.