Ahead of the highly anticipated West Bengal panchayat elections scheduled for July 8, a tragic incident has shaken the Birbhum district of West Bengal. The lifeless body of Dilip Mahara, husband of an Independent candidate, was discovered by local residents on Thursday morning near a pond in Serenda village.
Dilip Mahara’s wife, Chitre Mahara, alleged that her husband, who was associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was killed by members of the ruling Trinamool Congress. However, the Trinamool Congress vehemently denied these accusations.
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“He left the house at 4.30 pm on Wednesday, and I talked to him over the phone at 8 pm. Since then, he wasn’t seen by anyone,” Chitre said.
The son of the deceased, Utpal Mahara, alleged that his father was murdered by Kali Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district joint convener. He demanded justice for his father and a thorough investigation into the case.
A police officer confirmed that Dilip Mahara had been killed with a sharp weapon, and further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause of his death.
Chitre Mahara had intended to file nomination papers as a BJP candidate, but the party clarified that it had not endorsed her candidacy.
Kali Banerjee, in response to the allegations leveled against him, denied any involvement and stated, “Trinamool does not engage in politics of murders. Let them investigate his death. Our workers are not involved.”
Similarly, Malay Mukhopadhyay, the Trinamool District vice-president, accused the BJP of engaging in opportunistic politics and called for a thorough police investigation into the murder.