Councillor suicide: Cops probe ‘banner provocation’

Kolkata: According to the preliminary postmortem report, cops on Sunday said South Dum Dum Municipality Trinamool councillor Sanjay Das died by suicide. However, cops are probing if there was provocation or external involvement.Police have also launched an inquiry into allegations that banners accusing Das of land grabbing, corruption and extortion were put up outside his residence a few days before his death. "Although no specific complaint regarding abetment to suicide has been received so far, the matter relating to banners put up outside the deceased councillor's residence is also being investigated. We are trying to find out who put them up and whether anyone had threatened him," an officer said. Das (49), chairman-in-council member in charge of health at South Dum Dum Municipality and councillor of ward 18, was found hanging inside his seventh-floor apartment on Gorakshabashi Road on Saturday. His body has been handed over to his family."I received the news around 8 am on Saturday. I visited the hospital along with almost all our councillors. We are unable to accept the death of such an active and good councillor," said South Dum Dum Municipality chairman Kasturi Chowdhury.On social media, BJP MLA from Rajarhat-Gopalpur Tarunjyoti Tewari expressed condolences to the family and demanded a neutral probe while also referring to past allegations of corruption, illegal construction and extortion against the councillor.