Manas Bhuniya booked, Adhir Chowdhury warns of massive protests

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury on Sunday threatened to launch state-wide protests over the booking of Manas Bhuniya, senior party MLA and also the candidate from West Midnapore’s Sabang, on murder charge in the killing of Trinamul Congress worker Joydeb Jana. The police arrested eleven persons, reportedly CPI(M) and Congress workers, including three women in the case.

Mr Chowdhury said, “We also call for justice in the murder. However, we will launch a state-wide protest against the framing and portrayal of Mr Bhuniya as the killer in the case. Though a protest can have different forms, we will carry out our protest in the course of a democratic movement.”

Mr Bhuniya and 21 others were booked by the police in the case on murder and several other charges in the killing of Jana in Dubrajpur village.

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife Manasi accused Mr Bhuniya of masterminding Jana’s murder. “The Congress MLA had sent a group of his followers who forcibly took away my husband while returning home late on April 8 night, and then killed him,” she alleged.

Late on Saturday night, the police arrested the eleven accused — Sudhangshu Samanta, Niranjan Karan, Baneshwar Karan, Joydeb Karan, Bhim Karan, Mahadeb Karan, Gurupada Karan, Gurupada Manna, Shyamali Karan, Nilima Karan and Sulekha Karan — saying they were among the 22 named in the FIR.

Out of the eleven, eight are CPI(M) workers while three are Congress activists, sources revealed.

On Sunday, the Midnapore court remanded Gurupada Manna and Bhim Karan to six days’ police custody, following a plea by the police, and sent nine others to two weeks’ judicial custody.