A group of residents, including some TMC supporters, assembled in front of the Malda court premises on Tuesday and resorted to a demonstration, demanding capital punishment for Narendranath Tiwari, a former party leader and one of the main accused in the murder of party leader Dulal Sarkar.

On January 2, Sarkar was gunned down near his plywood factory in Jhaljhalia. Police probe revealed contract killers were hired for the crime.

In due course, the police nabbed Tiwari and history-sheeter Swapan Sharma, alleging they masterminded the fatal attack on Sarkar. The police are also in search of two others involved in the crime who are still at large.

On Tuesday, around 200 residents from ward 22, where Sarkar was elected as a councillor in 2022, and neighbouring wards like 20, 23 and 26, reached in front of the court with placards and started sloganeering against Tiwari and the other accused.

“We heard that Nandu (Narendranath) Tiwari will be produced in court. But our appeal to the court is to reject his bail plea and ensure capital punishment for him and his associates,” said Jayanta Bose, a resident of Jhaljhalia, a locality near the Malda Town railway station, who joined the protest.

Ananta Chakraborty, a trader and a protester, said if Tiwari got bail, the security of common people living in the ward from where Sarkar got elected and neighbouring areas would be at risk.

“Some relatives and henchmen of Tiwari are threatening us with dire consequences once he is released on bail," Chakraborty alleged.

However, the court deferred the hearing till March 19.

Sarkar's wife Chaitali, who is a councillor of ward 20 and a lawyer, said as the police did not present the case diary, the court deferred the hearing.

“A bail petition was moved by a lawyer who represented Narendranath Tiwari. But since the CD was not available today (Tuesday), the court will hear the petition on March 19,” she said.

On the protests, she said people were normally scared of Tiwari, but on Tuesday they stood united.