Senior BJP leader Debendra Nath Roy was found hanging near his home in Hemtabad area of North Dinajpur district on Monday morning. The reason of death is being investigated.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, " We demand CBI inquiry into the killing of BJP MLA from Hemtabad, Debendra Nath Roy. Trinamool Congress is behind this killing and has made it look like a suicide. I request West Bengal CM to order CBI inquiry to find the truth behind the killing."
BJP Bengal tweeted, "Body of Shri Debendra Nath Roy, BJP MLA from Hemtabad, a reserved seat, in Uttar Dinajpur, was found hanging like this in Bindal, near his village home. People are of the clear opinion that he was first killed & then hung. His crime? He joined the BJP in 2019."
"Roy was found hanging near a shop at Hemtabad area this (Monday) morning. We have started an investigation," a senior district police officer said.
His family alleged that it was murder and has been vocal in demanding the arrest and punishment for the culprits. A large police force from the Raiganj police station has been deployed at the spot.
The body has been sent to Raiganj Government Medical College Hospital for autopsy. His wife has claimed someone called him at 1 am at night after which he left.
Another family member, Poppy Barman, said, "I came here and saw my uncle-in-law hanging. I feel somebody killed him and hanged him there. He was at home and somebody called him at 1.00 am at night. I want criminals to be punished."
Khitish Chandra Ray, the nephew said, "My uncle was in the tea shop till 10.00 pm because a boy was supposed to come and get some signatures. Then, he went home at 10.00 pm and around 1.00 am, a motorcycle arrived. It was night and everybody was asleep but in our neighbourhood, we have a tape where we saw a motorcycle come and go at 1.00 am. My aunt says that my uncle told her at around that time he was going somewhere and will be back soon but he didn't return. She didn't see the person but heard some voices. At 5.00 am, I received the dreadful news that my uncle was found dead. I think the ones who went to call him at night were terrorists who killed him and then hanged him in the shop. He was the current MLA and hence we need a CBI inquiry and SP, DSP, OC, IC everyone needs to come here and punish the guilty."
BJP leader Sayantan Basu claimed, "We have lost 105 party workers since the last panchayat election. This includes one of our MLAs. We saw the brutal killing of our MLA. Police are there only to erase the ground evidence. The state should let the CBI enquire the matter, catch the culprits and register case against the real murderers. The state police have failed to catch the real culprit for the last 104 cases. We want immediate intervention from the Central Government or the Central Bureau of Investigation."
Kanhaiyalal Agarwal, District President, TMC said, "Debendra Nath Roy has had an unnatural death. The police have taken the body. It will go through post mortem. Everything would be clear then. I heard the while back that his family members are accusing some men who took him out last night and killed him. His family members lived with him. If someone came to pick him up at midnight his family should have called the police. Police would have come and helped. The place he is hanged is not even very far from his place. There will be an investigation. The truth will come out."
Roy had contested and won the Hemtabad assembly segment -- a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes -- on a CPI(M) ticket but had switched over to the BJP last year after the Lok Sabha polls.