CBI questions police officer in Congress councillor's murder

The CBI on Thursday interrogated the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station in connection with the murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu in West Bengal’s Purulia district, an official said.

Sanjib Ghosh, the police officer, reached the agency’s camp office here in the morning for interrogation, he said.

”Kandu’s family has been alleging Ghosh’s involvement in the murder. It is also alleged that he had put pressure on the Congress councillor to shift his political allegiance,” the CBI official said.

”We also need to find out the role of the IC on the day of the murder. How did he respond on receiving the news of the murder also needs to be examined,” he said.

The details provided by him will be verified with witness statements, the official said.

Kandu was shot dead near his residence on March 13 while he was out on an evening stroll. He had won from ward number 2 of Jhalda Municipality for the fourth time in the civic polls held in February and was a popular leader in the area.

The murder happened weeks after the elections to Jhalda Municipality resulted in a hung house, with the Congress and Trinamool Congress having won five seats each and Independents securing two seats. However, the TMC has managed to form the board.

A key eyewitness in the murder, Kandu’s friend Niranjan Baishnab, was found dead at his residence last week.