CBI questions policemen, others in Cong councillor murder case

CBI sleuths on Friday questioned the five policemen, who were closed for their alleged negligence, following the killing of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu at Jhalda in West Bengal's Purulia district last month, an official said.

CBI DIG Akhilesh Singh on Friday evening led the investigation team as the five policemen were taken to the spot where Kandu was shot dead on March 13, he said. Later at night, the detectives went to Kandu's residence and spoke to his wife Purnima Kandu and other family members in connection with their investigation into the murder, the official said.

''We have prepared a map of the spot where Kandu was murdered. The policemen were taken to the spot to take a note of their version soon after the murder was reported,'' the CBI officer said. Three other security personnel - a woman sub-inspector of police, a home guard and a National Volunteer Force (NVF) - of the mobile police van patrolling that area on March 13 night were also questioned by CBI officers, he said.

The inspector in charge of Jhalda police station, who was summoned to appear before the central agency during the day, did not turn up till 8 pm. The detectives also spoke to CPIM's Jhalda area secretary Ujjal Chattaraj and collected 36 CCTV footage of various spots, the officer added.

The CBI is investigating the case on the order of the Calcutta High Court.

Kandu was shot dead on March 13 while he was out on an evening walk near his residence.

He had won ward number two of Jhalda Municipality for the fourth time in the civic polls held in February and was a popular leader in the area.

The murder happened weeks after the elections to the Jhalda Municipality resulted in a hung house, with the Congress and Trinamool Congress having won five seats each and Independents securing two seats. However, the TMC formed the board earlier this week.

An eyewitness to the murder, Kandu's friend Niranjan Baishnab, was found hanging in his home on Wednesday.