In Bengal, slain BJP activist’s brother says he is being threatened with death

Biswajit Sarkar, the elder brother of BJP activist Abhijit Sarkar who was killed in a gruesome manner in a case post-poll violence in West Bengal in May, lodged a written complaint with Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, on Thursday, alleging that he has been threatened with death if the case was not withdrawn. Sources said that Biswajit Sarkar is a key factor in CBI’s investigation in the case and thus, is being threatened. The police are investigating the matter.

In the Abhijit Sarkar murder case, the CBI has been searching for the accused. The CBI raided the homes of four accused in early October. The CBI’s strategy has been to increase the pressure on the fugitive. The investigators reached the homes of the four accused whose names are in the chargesheet. Arrest warrants have been issued against the four. The accused were not found at home and family members were questioned about their whereabouts.

The CBI had submitted the charge-sheet in September. Charge-sheets have been filed against 20 people. The day after the counting of votes on 2 May, BJP activist Abhijit Sarkar, a resident of Beleghata, was killed brutally, soon after he did a Facebook live that he was being attacked. His body was not cremated for the sake of investigation. After 136 days, the family got permission for the funeral. His family said right from the outset that Abhijit was killed for being a BJP activist. At the same time, the family of the deceased also raised questions about the role of the police in this incident. Recently, the elder brother, Biswajit went to the CBI office with the mobile phone of Abhijit Sarkar. According to Biswajit, Abhijit probably realized that he would be killed which is why he hid his mobile phone. According to sources, there are several videos on the mobile phone of the moment before Abhijit Sarkar’s death. Biswajit Sarkar thinks that they can be used by the investigators. He recently appeared at the CBI office with those videos.

CBI investigators have also spoken to Abhijit Sarkar’s grandfather Biswajit Sarkar more than once since the CBI took over the investigation. They have even visited Biswajit’s house. Biswajit himself appeared in Nizam Palace or CGO complex again. On 5 September, CBI officials went to Abhijit Sarkar’s house. Abhijit Sarkar’s mother’s statement was recorded. Abhijit Sarkar’s body had been lying in the morgue for several months. After seeing the DNA report in the end, his elder brother Biswajit arranged for his brother’s funeral in September. The family alleges that Abhijit Sarkar was killed by Trinamool Congress goons and that the police played an active role in covering up the evidence.