Civil Society Members Meet Bengal Guv, Demand Re-investigation into Murshidabad Triple Murder Case

Kolkata: Members of a civil society group met Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday to demand re-investigation into the killing a teacher, his pregnant wife and eight-year-old son in Murshidabad earlier this month.

On October 8, the bodies of Bondhu Gopal Pal, a 35-year-old primary school teacher, his wife Beauty and son Angan were found lying in a pool of blood inside their residence at Jiaganj in Murshidabad district.

The Bengal Intellectual Society team that met Dhankar was led by professor Radharaman Chakraborty and fashion designer Agnimitra Paul. They submitted a memorandum to the governor alleging a cover-up by police in the case.

“We told the governor that the investigation into the murder case has not been fair and there is an attempt to cover up the matter. We requested him to intervene to help bring out the truth. We demanded an impartial and independent re-investigation into the case,” Paul said.

Raj Bhawan sources said Dhankar has assured them of looking into the matter. “Besides, we highlighted the arrest of Congress leader and senior journalist Sanmoy Bandhopadhyay from his house in Sodepur on October 18. His arrest was a violation of fundamental rights and press freedom.”

The team released a statement that read, “The members are deeply alarmed, saddened and shocked by the recent bloodbath in the state during Durga Puja, when more than eight lives were lost, including that of a child and pregnant woman. The state government’s apathy and lax approach to these murders and the investigation have been a matter of great concern to the BIS members, who deeply condemn such acts of barbarism.”

Earlier, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has claimed that the Murshidabad teacher was actively involved in its work. According to some RSS functionaries, he was working on a ‘weekly milan (congregation)’ in the district.

However, Pal’s family members have said he did not have links with any political party. “This is absolutely wrong to say that he was associated with any political organisation or RSS. It is unfortunate that people are politicising the matter,” Pal’s brother-in-law Diptiman Sarkar had said.

RSS leader Jishnu Basu, however, claimed that he was associated with Sangha and there is a deep-rooted conspiracy to suppress the actual motive behind the murder.