13 arrested for West Bengal ex-legislator’s murder

KOLKATA - Thirteen people, including three Trinamool Congress supporters, were arrested Wednesday as tension prevailed in West Bengal’s Birbhum district following the murder of a former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator, police said.

Anand Das, a four-time legislator from Nanur, was dragged from his house, and beaten up mercilessly before being repeatedly fired upon by the assailants Tuesday.

“We have arrested 13 people in connection with the murder of Ananda Das. Investigations are on,” said Birbhum district Superintendent of Police Rabindranath Mukherjee.

“Three of those arrested have confessed they are Trinamool Congress supporters,” the police official said.

Agitated local CPI-M supporters chased away policemen who went to the area Wednesday.

A team of state’s ruling Left Front legislators Wednesday visited the murder spot and blamed the Trinamool Congress for the incident. The team also accused the police of inaction.

“The Trinamool perpetrated the heinous crime. Police were totally inactive. Had they been active, then the murder would not have taken place,” said CPI-M legislator Rabindranath Mandal, a member of the visiting team.

Trouble started at Nanur, under Bolpur sub-division Tuesday, after a Trinamool worker S.K. Phulu was shot at in the afternoon, and the party blamed the CPI-M for the incident.

A 12-hour shutdown was called by CPI-M in Bolpur sub-division Wednesday to protest against the former lawmaker’s murder.