Kolkata, 10 September (H.S.) : An irrigation department employee was allegedly abducted while on duty in Falta and was found dead two days later near a riverbank in Patibunia, Namkhana, police said. The deceased was also a Trinamool Congress regional president. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The deceased was identified as Buddhadeb Mondal, a resident of Barda village under Ramnagar police station in Falta Assembly constituency. He was posted at the Falta-Balarampur office of the Charyal Sub-Division of the South 24 Parganas Irrigation Department.

Besides being a government employee, Mondal was associated with the Trinamool Congress and served as the party's regional president of the Bhadura-Haridas area.

According to his family, Mondal went missing around noon on September 8 while he was on duty. The family alleged that he was abducted by a group of miscreants and subsequently lodged a complaint with the police.

Police launched searches at several locations and initially detained four people for questioning. Mondal's wife Priyanka Mondal and his brother Sandipan had also appealed to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to ensure his early recovery.

However, on Thursday afternoon, the family was informed that a body had been recovered near a riverbank at Patibunia in Namkhana. Mondal's wife subsequently identified the body.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Police are investigating whether he was murdered and, if so, the motive behind the alleged killing. The Falta Police went to Namkhana and recovered the body.

The incident has caused tension in the area, while police are continuing their investigation to determine the circumstances of the alleged abduction and subsequent death.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh