Now, TMC heads for Raisina Hill, says probe fair

A day after BJP’s Bengal observer Kailash Vijayvargiya visited President Kovind following the death of party legislator Debendranath Roy in Uttar Dinajpur, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'brien headed for Raisina Hill on Wednesday to apprise him about the investigation.

The TMC leader submitted a letter from CM Mamata Banerjee, stating the probe into the case was being carried out by the state CID fairly. It ruled out the possibility of a political case as is being projected by BJP. Mamata's letter says distorted facts are allegedly being presented by the saffron party. It refers to the death of Roy, whose body was found hanging, as unfortunate. “On receipt of post mortem and on primary-investigation, West Bengal Police has reported that it is a case of suspected suicide and could be related to some local money transfer activities."

The note found in a pocket of the deceased names two persons allegedly found to be related to money transfer activities in the locality, says the letter. "Therefore, I am sorry to say it does not appear to be a political case as being projected by the BJP.”

Sources said TMC is trying to be transparent to stave off the political vendetta angle raised by the BJP, particularly because the state will go for assembly elections in 2021. The post-mortem report mentions that Roy was alive before hanging and apart from a ligature mark on his neck, there are no other external injuries. This appears to be the safety valve for the TMC, to stress that the incident is a suicide and not murder. So far, the police have arrested one person in the case.

Meanwhile, BJP staged protests outside police stations across the state for a CBI probe into the case.

TMC leader shot at, critical A Trinamool leader, Dharmendra Singh, alias Dharua, was shot at by two bike-borne men near his home in North 24-Parganas on Wednesday. Singh, 40, was taken to a hospital. Singh had recently quit BJP to join TMC.