BJP worker killed by shotgun firing, probe handed to CID: Bengal Police

Kolkata, Dec 8: The BJP worker, who was killed at the party's rally in Siliguri, died due to shotgun injuries and the force does not use such a weapon, the West Bengal Police said on Tuesday, rubbishing the allegations of firing by its personnel. The probe into the death of BJP worker Ullen Roy at the party's rally on Monday was handed over to the CID, it said.

"As per the PM (post-mortem) report 'death was due to the effects of shotgun injuries'. Police do not use shotguns. It's obvious that during yesterday's protest in Siliguri, armed persons were brought and they fired from firearms," the West Bengal police said in a tweet.

"The deceased received pallet injuries from a shotgun fired from close range by a person standing near the deceased in the protest program. This is unprecedented. Bringing armed persons in protest programs and inciting them to fire is unheard off (sic)," it added.

The state police said that there was an intention to create violence by the use of firearms and the CID has been asked to investigate.

"Truth will come out, and strong action will be taken against all those who planned and executed the heinous crime," it said.

However, the BJP alleged that the police fired a shotgun during the clash on Monday afternoon, resulting in the death of Roy.

"Our party worker was killed due to shotgun injury. The allegation against us that we had brought in armed men is completely baseless and it is being said to cover up the police firing," BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu told reporters.

Police fired teargas shells and used water cannons to quell a violent protest, called by the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) against the Mamata Banerjee government, in the north Bengal city on Monday, officials said. Several protesters and police personnel were injured in the clashes.

The BJP, initially, alleged that Roy was "beaten to death" by the police during a baton charge. The party has called a 12-hour bandh in north Bengal in protest against the police action and the death of its party worker.