West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has known as for an in depth probe into the death of former Assembly Deputy Speaker and veteran Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Asish Banerjee, saying police ought to look at whether or not he had been threatened or blackmailed.
Banerjee, a five-time MLA from Rampurhat who represented the constituency for 25 consecutive years from 2001, was discovered lifeless on Sunday at a TMC workplace in Birbhum district.
A note recovered from the workplace mentioned that nobody was liable for his loss of life and expressed remorse over getting into politics, whereas showing to claim his innocence in opposition to allegations of corruption.
Adhikari mentioned the authenticity and handwriting of the observe could be verified by way of forensic examination.
“I’ve spoken to the police and the district Justice of the Peace in regards to the loss of life and the possible circumstances resulting in it,” Adhikari advised reporters on the state secretariat.
The Chief Minister mentioned he had spoken to Banerjee’s household and requested whether or not he had confronted any harassment. In keeping with Adhikari, the household didn’t make any such allegation.
Nonetheless, he mentioned investigators shouldn’t rule out the chance that Banerjee had been threatened by individuals related to “corrupt components” within the TMC, significantly after the previous MLA distanced himself from the faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“It’s potential that somebody could have threatened him… It’s potential that somebody was blackmailing him,” Adhikari mentioned, including that the circumstances wanted to be examined slightly than assumed.
Adhikari mentioned he had requested Banerjee’s household handy over his cellphones to the police chief and the Birbhum superintendent of police.
Investigators, he mentioned, ought to look at name information and messages to find out whether or not the previous MLA had obtained threats.
The Chief Minister additionally mentioned Asish Banerjee had resigned from a committee fashioned by Mamata Banerjee after the TMC’s drubbing within the Meeting polls earlier this 12 months, suggesting that his political distancing could possibly be related to the investigation.
On the identical time, Adhikari described Asish Banerjee as an trustworthy, first rate and clear political chief with whom he had maintained a cordial relationship regardless of being on reverse sides of the political divide.
“There have been solely a handful of TMC MLAs in 2006, with him and me being amongst them. What has occurred is painful,” he mentioned.
Adhikari mentioned Asish Banerjee’s household had advised him that the previous MLA maintained good relations with individuals throughout political traces, together with BJP employees.
He cited BJP MLA Dhruba Saha’s go to after defeating him within the election, saying Saha had sought the veteran chief’s blessings.
Adhikari mentioned Banerjee had additionally contacted him after he turned Chief Minister, expressing a need to fulfill him on the state secretariat.
He maintained that there was no motive to attribute wrongdoing to Banerjee himself, whereas distinguishing him from allegations in opposition to a few of his associates and followers.
“He had a really clear character. I don’t assume that there was ever an FIR in opposition to Asish Babu,” he mentioned, including that his household had additionally advised him that he had by no means obtained a police name.
Referring to the political state of affairs in Rampurhat, Adhikari mentioned Banerjee couldn’t be held liable for any alleged exercise involving individuals round him.
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