Kamalpur, June 23: In a shocking incident, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Asish Das, a prominent government contractor and active BJP activist from Surma area under Kamalpur subdivision.
Das’s body was discovered in the Lutma Cherra stream by local residents. His face had been severely disfigured, making initial identification difficult. However, a tattoo bearing his name on his right hand helped police trace his identity. His family had already filed a missing person complaint with Kamalpur police.
Following identification, Das’s wife lodged a formal complaint naming five individuals—Souvik Das, Tony Dey, Kajal Das, Apan Bhowmik, and Santosh Gope—as suspects. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR and arrested all five accused. They were produced before the court and remanded to police custody.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 103 (punishment for murder), 238 (tampering with evidence), and others.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the murder was linked to a longstanding land dispute. According to police sources, the victim’s mother, Anguri Das, had leased out a piece of land to a party that later started a brick kiln on the property. Allegedly, the lessees were attempting to acquire the land permanently and had pressured the family multiple times to sell, but Anguri Das repeatedly refused.
In a heartbreaking appeal to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Anguri Das said, “This piece of land is not dearer than my son. I appeal to the Chief Minister to bring my son back. I will give up all rights on the land.”
Notably, no ruling BJP leaders have visited the grieving family since the incident, raising questions within political circles.
