A day before he was killed in broad daylight on Wednesday, former CPI(M) MLA Pradip Tah had filed an official complaint with Superintendent of Police, Burdwan, S N Mirza stating that his life was under threat. He named 10 men, all reportedly Trinamool Congress members, of whom eight were later named in the murder complaint filed by Tah’s brother, Prabir Tah.
In his complaint, a copy of which is with The Sunday Express, Pradip Tah urged the police to take appropriate action and to provide him security. The next day, he and CPI(M) district committee member Kamal Gayen were killed, allegedly by the TMC workers whom he had named in his complaint.
Of the four arrested so far, Pradip Tah had named three — Choton Chakraborty, Bhupal Goswami and Surajeet Tah — in his complaint. He alleged that 10-15 TMC men from Dewandighi-Mirzapur had torn off the CPI(M)’s flags and banners that they had put up in the area and threatened to kill him and his associates.
The TMC workers also stopped eight-ten buses which were taking CPI(M) supporters to a meeting on February 19, and forced them to return to Burdwan, said the complaint, which was written on the former MLA’s official letterhead. A copy of the complaint was also sent to the block development officer of Burdwan Block II.
Despite several attempts to reach him today, SP Mirza was not available for comment.
Significantly, Pradip Tah’s complaint named all those later listed in the FIR lodged by Prabir Tah after his death. Prabir Tah also claimed that five-six policemen were present at the spot when his brother was hacked to death.
Meanwhile, three days after the incident, the police are yet to interrogate the four arrested in the case who have been remanded to judicial custody. Officials said none of the others named in the FIR have been arrested so far. Claiming to have seized the “murder weapons”, police said some “tree branches, a bamboo stick and a stone” were recovered from the spot.
The assistant public prosecutor in the case, Biswajit Das, confirmed that two tree branches, a bamboo stick and a stone were shown in the “seizure list” by the police. The FIR, however, had mentioned the use of spears and other sharp weapons.
TMC leader Aloke Das visited the accused in jail. Asked if they could be released before the court hearing on March 7, Das replied: “the high command has not yet given any direction.” But local TMC leaders said State Law Minister Malay Ghatak was monitoring the case.
The political rivalry between Pradip Tah and TMC leader Patitpaban Tah, who has also been arrested in the case, was reported to be an offshoot of their financial interests involved in controlling trade union bodies in about 14 medium and small sponge iron factories, brick kilnsand paper mills in the area.
In another development, Kakali Tah, daughter of former Congress MLA Kahsinath Tah of the same area, has alleged that Pradip Tah was the prime accused in her father’s death.