The Trinamool Congress’s councillor from North Barrackpore Municipality, who was arrested on Sunday for the alleged murder of an 81-year-old man, was sent to police custody on Monday.
Tulsi Adhikary, 81, died on Sunday after being allegedly kicked by Rabindranath Bhattacharya, reportedly over an altercation between the two. The elderly man was allegedly assaulted after he tried to protest against an unauthorised construction in his neighbourhood.
Bhattacharya, a practising lawyer, appeared in person before a Barrackpore court, which sent him to police remand for seven days.
A group of lawyers at the court tried to prevent the police from taking away Bhattacharya after he was granted police custody.
This resulted in a clash between the police and lawyers outside the court.
The police finally managed to take Bhattacharya out of the court lockup to the police station on Monday evening.
Bhattacharya is the councillor of Ward 23, North Barrackpore municipality.
Adhikary, a resident of Manirampur, was kicked and verbally abused by Bhattacharya. The assault caused his death, alleged his daughter-in-law, Paromita Adhikary.
The Trinamool Congress suspended Bhattacharya from the party for six years on Sunday, a move leaders dubbed “zero tolerance” against such illegal activities.
BJP leader Arjun Singh led a rally in Barrackpore on Monday, demanding the arrest of Bhattacharya’s associates.
“Why was only Rabindranath Bhattacharya arrested? Why not the others who were involved?” he asked.
