KOLKATA: BJP MLA from Hemtabad in North Dinajpur district Debendra Nath Roy, who defected from the CPI(M) last year, was found dead, hanging from the ceiling of his shop, on Monday morning under mysterious circumstances. His family members alleged Roy was murdered and hanged.
Bengal BJP unit demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident. The party’s national leadership asked the state leaders to arrive Hemtabad immediately and submit a report.
Roy’s family members told police that he had left home around 12 midnight when some people came and asked him to go with them.
"Roy did not return home last night. His family members searched the area but he was found nowhere. They came to Roy’s shop on Monday morning, around 1 km from his home, and found him hanging from the ceiling with a rope tied around his neck," said a police officer probing into the incident.
The police, however, are yet to ascertain whether Roy committed suicide or he was murdered.
Roy, a first time MLA, was elected from Hemtabad constituency on a CPI (M) ticket in 2016. He had switched sides to join the BJP in 2019.
While speaking to TNIE in July last year, Roy expressed his unhappiness saying the BJP’s district leadership had asked him not to be active and he was not being informed about the party’s regular political programmes.
The police said they would explore whether Roy had any dispute with his family members, who are still known as CPI(M) supporters, since his defection to BJP.
BJP’s national president JP Nadda described Roy’s death shocking.
"The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj & failure of law and order in the Mamta govt. People will not forgive such a govt in the future. We strongly condemn this," he tweeted.
Dilip Ghosh, BJP’s West Bengal president, the ruling party’s youth wing activists targeted Roy since he joined the saffron camp.
"The TMC can go to any extent to remain in the power. We are demanding CBI probe into Roy’s murder," he said.
West Bengal governor wrote on his Twitter handle, "Hematabad MLA ‘hanging’-Police stance at top that it is ‘suicide’ is indicative of cover up- smacks with police prejudice, not without obvious intentions. Autopsy be VIDEOGRAPHED BY EXPERT TEAM AS PER SUPREME COURT DIRECTIVES. Highest TRANSPARENCY be observed @MamataOfficial.’’