Kolkata, 08 September (H.S.) : The West Bengal government has taken action against police officials over alleged lapses in the investigation into the murder of 36-year-old Sujit Mandal in Dhulian, Murshidabad. Chief Minister and state Police Minister Shubhendu Adhikari announced on Monday that the case has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation.

Jangipur Police District Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh has been served a show-cause notice and warned over the handling of the case.

According to the Chief Minister, Dhulian police outpost in-charge and Assistant Sub-Inspector Sumanta Das, along with Shamsherganj Police Station’s Assistant Inspector and Second Officer Saiful Alam, have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty. Shamsherganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Subrata Ghosh has been ordered to report to the police lines, while Farakka Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sheikh Shamsuddin has been transferred as a punitive measure.

Sujit Mandal had left his home in Ward 8 of Dhulian, Murshidabad, on August 28 and subsequently went missing. On September 2, parts of his body were recovered from the banks of the Farakka Feeder Canal. Police have arrested three people in connection with the case — Samiul Sheikh, Tajkira Bibi and Jony Sheikh.

Adhikari said Sujit’s wife, Sumana Mandal, had lodged a missing-person complaint with the police on August 28 itself. According to her statement, a man identified as Riyan Akhtar had called Sujit that morning and asked him to come out of the house. He never returned, following which a formal case was registered.

The Chief Minister alleged that despite the police being informed, there were lapses at the local level in responding to the complaint. Describing the matter as serious, he said such incidents must be treated with the same gravity as the murders of Hargobind Das and his son Chandan Das. A departmental inquiry will also be conducted by the Inspector General of Police of the concerned region.

Investigators suspect that the accused allegedly called Sujit to an isolated location, where he was murdered. They are further accused of dismembering the body to destroy evidence, placing the remains in cement bags and transporting them on a motorcycle to Ballalpur Ghat, where they were allegedly thrown into the river.

Due to the strong current in the river, police are using high-speed boats and divers to search for the remaining parts of the body. The recovered remains have been sent to Jangipur Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination. Forensic and DNA tests will also be conducted to establish the victim’s identity conclusively.

Police said CCTV footage and call detail records were examined after the missing-person complaint was filed. The investigation led to the arrest of the three accused. Following leads obtained during interrogation, some body parts wrapped in plastic and bags were recovered from the Ballalpur Ghat area of Farakka on the evening of September 2. Preliminary investigation has indicated a possible business dispute as the motive behind the murder.

Referring to the Dhulian case, Adhikari also mentioned the killings of Hargobind Das and his son Chandan Das in Murshidabad last year. Violence had erupted in several areas, including Jangipur, Shamsherganj, Suti and Dhulian, during protests against amendments to the Waqf law.

In December last year, a Jangipur court sentenced 13 convicts to life imprisonment in the Hargobind and Chandan Das murder case. The court had concluded that the killings were linked to personal enmity rather than a political motive.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh