Manas Bhunia, brother dropped from murder chargesheet

Kolkata: Sabang MLA Manas Bhunia, who quit Congress to  join the ruling party earlier in September, has been dropped from the chargesheet in connection with the murder of Trinamul Congress activist Joydeb Jana. Mr Bhunia, chairman of the Assembly’s public accounts committee, was one of the 23 accused initially named in the police chargesheet, which also included his brother Bikash Bhunia and their close associate Amal Panda, who similarly don’t figure in the chargesheet. The police had filed the  new chargesheet, naming 20  accused, on December 1.

After the submission of the chargesheet, the judge issued a notice to the complainant Joydeb Metia to appear in person in the court. The court asked him if he had any objection to the exclusion of the names of MLA Bhunia, his brother and Mr Panda from the chargesheet. Mr Metia told the court that he has no objection at all.

The court has now asked the investigation officer to appear before it on Wednesday and state his opinion on the chargesheet.

Days before the polling for Sabang Assembly constituency, Jana, a booth committee president with the TMC, was beaten to death on April 8 allegedly by Congress and CPI(M) workers. The TMC had lodged an FIR naming 23 people as accused, including Mr Bhunia, who with with the Congress then.

Following the FIR, an arrest warrant was issued against him and others. Soon after, though, Mr Bhunia and the Congress entered into a bitter tussle over the leader defying the party’s stand to accept the PAC chairman post, while setting off speculations about his growing proximity with the ruling party.

Mr Bhunia eventually joined TMC on September 19, months after the arrest warrant was issued against him. “Now the cat is out of the bag. TMC framed him (Mr Bhunia) in a false murder case. He joined TMC to save himself. Now TMC needs to do some  explaining” Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty said.