Within two weeks of the panchayat elections, post-poll violence started afresh in the State’s Jangalmahal region with the murder of an 18-year-old BJP supporter in Purulia district.
The body of BJP supporter Trilochan Mahato, who had gone missing on Tuesday evening, was found hanging from a tree in the Balarampur area of the district with a note that he has been punished for being associated with the BJP. A similar statement was scribbled on the T-shirt he was wearing.
Family members of the deceased said he went missing from the local market. His brother said that Mahato had called saying that he had been abducted after which the line went dead.
“We are surprised and heartbroken at the brutal murder of Trilochan Mahato and condemn it. We demand a thorough investigation,” BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said, accusing the supporters of the ruling TMC of being behind the act.
Trinamool Congress Minister and local MLA Shantiram Mahato said the allegations are baseless. “I feel the incident is the result of a rivalry between BJP factions,” he said.
Purulia SP Joy Biswas said that a murder case has been filed and preliminary investigations suggest there was “some personal enmity or grudge”.
In the nearby district of Jhargram late on Tuesday evening, miscreants allegedly attacked the BJP office in ward number 14.
Party spokesman Sayantan Basu said State general secretary Subrata Chaterjee and others were inside the party office when it was attacked.
A number of vehicles were vandalised and a few party supporters sustained injuries, he said. Later a large contingent of police arrived to bring the situation under control.
The BJP has done well in Jhargram and Purulia districts in the recently-held panachayat polls winning 40% and 33% seats respectively.
