Agartala: The Panchayat chief of BJP-ruled Dwarikapur village of Khowai district Krishna Kamal Das (48) was arrested on Sunday night for allegedly hacking a CPI(M) supporter Dilip Shukla Das (50) on Saturday night.
Although police claimed it was related to personal enmity and nothing related to politics, opposition CPI(M) and Congress accused BJP leaders of indulging in post-poll violence that resulted in the murder of Dilip and injured more than a hundred people across the state in last four days.
Police said Dilip had stormed the house of Krishna accusing him of depriving Dilip of the PMAY house, and other government benefits on the political ground. The scuffle began at around 11.30
PM when the accused and the victim argued on the return of BJP to power in just concluded assembly elections and accused each other of ongoing post-poll violence.
Suddenly, Krishna and his driver Tapas Das attacked Dilip with sticks and assaulted him badly. His son and other neighbours when had come to recuse Dilip they also received injuries. Krishna hit his head with an iron rod in front of others and Dilip fell unconscious. Immediately he was shifted to Khowai district hospital and thereafter referred to Agartala Govt Medical College in critical condition where he died on Sunday.
Police initially detained Krishna Kamal and arrested him later and he admitted the crime. However, his driver was absconding. The incident triggered tension in the district following strong warnings to each other by the senior leaders of both parties. A large number of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the sensitive locations of the district and the administration called a peace meeting with the parties to cease the tension.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury alleged that Dilip was killed by BJP miscreants led by the village head Krishna Kamal Das for working for CPI(M) during the elections.
The accused had reportedly several times warned Dilip and other opposition party workers of dare consequences unless they leave CPI(M).
The CPI(M) and Congress workers blockade the VIP following which police allowed keeping the body at Gandhi’s statue for offering a floral tribute, Choudhury said and added, “Barbaric attacks and atrocities on CPI(M) and Congress have continued across the state despite peaceful elections. BJP has established a reign of brutality in the entire state itself and police become inactive. They could not rig the vote but resorted to violence out of the fear of defeat.”
Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee denied the charge of CPI(M) and the claim of the murder as political.
He argued that Dilip, a habitual drunkard, intruded into the house of Krishna Kamal at late night in an inebriated condition. During the scuffle, he was hit on the head and died. It was not a murder but an accident – no link to politics.
