KOLKATA: The political rivalry within a family in West Bengal's Malda village turned fatal after a youth has been suspected of allegedly murdering his BJP activist father after his wife, a TMC candidate, lost to a candidate from the saffron camp in the recently-concluded panchayat elections.
52-year-old Buran Murmu, a BJP worker, had been lived in the same house with his son Biplab Murmu and daughter-in-law Sharmila Murmu. His body was reportedly found with multiple injuries and hanging from the ceiling in his room on Sunday morning. The incident triggered protests among a section of villagers who accused local Trinamool Congress leaders of abetment.
During the course of the investigation, the neighbours told police that an altercation between the father and son broke out after Sharmila lost to a BJP candidate in the gram-panchayat election by 56 votes. Following Sharmila's defeat, Buran was reportedly assaulted by his son and other Trinamool supporters.
The police detained Sharmila for interrogation and are on the lookout for his absconding son Biplab.
"Sharmila’s paternal family has always been loyal to the TMC. She married Biplab, a resident of Kayandighi village in Malda’s Bamangola, two years ago. The trouble in the family broke out when the local TMC leadership selected her as the party’s candidate in the gram panchayat-level elections and the homemaker gave a nod. Biplab, too, supported his wife’s decision. Meanwhile, Buran was an active BJP worker in the area, and could not accept that his daughter-in-law would represent and contest on behalf of a rival political party," said a police officer in Malda district.
"An altercation between Buran and Biplab started shortly after the results of the rural polls were out and the news of Sharmila’s defeat spread. Biplab held his father responsible for his wife’s defeat alleging that Buran campaigned against Sharmila asking the family’s neighbours not to vote for her," said the officer quoting one of the neighbours of the deceased.
The family members of Buran discovered his body with a rope tied around his neck.
"We are yet to receive the post-mortem report but the autopsy surgeon said that there were several injury marks on the body,” said another police officer.
The BJP MP from Malda (north) Khogen Murmu alleged Buran was our senior party worker and his murder was a well-planned plan hatched by his son and daughter-in-law.
"Since Sharmila lost to our candidate in the panchayat elections Biplab and his wife committed the crime to take revenge for the defeat," Murmu said.
Meanwhile, the TMC described Buran’s death as a fallout of a family feud.
"Politics has no role to play here. The investigation will reveal the actual cause behind the incident," said TMC’s Malda district vice president Dulal Sarkar.