BJP demands CBI probe into death of party MLA Debendra Nath Roy, calls for bandh in North Bengal on July 14

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the death of Debendra Nath Roy, party MLA from Hemtabad, North Dinajpur district in West Bengal who was found hanging in Bindal village near his home on Monday morning. 

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Ghosh called it a 'cold-blooded murder' which 'is shocking and unfortunate'. He asked for a CBI investigation as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) 'will not do fair enquiry.' "The cold blooded murder of Hemtabad BJP MLA is shocking and unfortunate. We demand a CBI investigation as State Government will not do fair enquiry. We will do protests all across the state...," he tweeted along with a video.

The BJP West Bengal unit has called for a 12-hour bandh in North Bengal on July 14 (Tuesday). BJP MP and West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh has also said that the party has asked President Ramnath Kovind to meet them to discuss the death of Roy. From July 15 (Wednesday) onwards, BJP will hold a dharna outside police stations across North Dinajpur 
District.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over the investigation of the death of Roy. The family members of the MLA have claimed that he has been killed and hanged later. People of the area also claimed that the BJP MLA was murdered and then hanged. However, police said the cause of death will be ascertained after post mortem. His body was sent to Raigunj hospital for post mortem.

Police have also found a suicide note from the pocket of BJP MLA. The note mentions the names of two persons and reads, “these two people are responsible for my death”. The names are not being shared by the police as their role need to be investigated. 

The local enquiry has revealed that he had financial dealings with these two persons named in the note. Ray had recently sold 6-7 bighas of land due to financial crisis. Police is yet to comment whether it is a suicide or a murder as post mortem report is awaited.

BJP president JP Nadda expressed shock over the incident and said, "The suspected heinous killing of Debendra Nath Ray, BJP MLA from Hemtabad in West Bengal, is extremely shocking and deplorable. This speaks of the Gunda Raj and failure of law and order in the Mamta government."

"Body of Shri Debendra Nath Ray, 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 and then hung. His crime? He joined the BJP in 2019," said West Bengal BJP in a tweet.

Roy was earlier a CPI(M) MLA but had changed camps and joined BJP in 2019. Roy had joined the saffron party in Delhi in presence of senior BJP leaders.