Chaos as Kolkata Police hand over body of BJP worker killed on May 2 – Hindustan Times

There was chaos at Kolkata’s NRS Medical College and Hospital on Thursday afternoon when the police handed over the body of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Abhijit Sarkar to his family and leaders of the party over four months after he was killed, allegedly by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, in the Narkeldanga area on May 2.

Devdutta Maji, a BJP leader, allegedly slapped a home guard when Kolkata Police personnel were managing the entry point to the morgue where the body was kept.

“There was some jostling when the police tried to stop us. I did not hit anyone intentionally. If charges are pressed, I will fight it out in court,” said Maji.

Ordered by the Calcutta high court to probe allegations of post-poll killings and rapes in Bengal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing Sarkar’s death along with the other cases.

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The court had earlier ordered a DNA test on the body since Sarkar’s family could not identify it.

Though the Kolkata Police did not comment on the alleged assault by Maji, Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “He should be booked immediately. The government made all arrangements to hand over the body but the BJP created trouble.”

Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh defended Maji and said, “If he slapped a home guard, he did not do anything wrong.”

Lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal, who is representing several petitioners, including Sarkar’s family, said, “The government did not preserve the body properly. It was decomposed.”

The body was taken to the BJP state headquarters at Muralidhar Sen Lane in central Kolkata. It was later taken to Sarkar’s home. The cremation is scheduled take place in the afternoon.

Sarkar was allegedly killed shortly after the poll results were announced. The Kolkata Police has so far arrested seven people.

Biswajit Sarkar, the older brother of the victim, has filed petitions to probe his death before the Supreme Court and the Calcutta high court.

Abhijit Sarkar was allegedly strangled to death with a television cable. He was the only BJP worker who died in the state capital. The rest of the alleged killings took place in other districts.