Prime witness in TMC activist Ashoke Shaw's killing found dead

KOLKATA: The elder brother and key witness in the murder of Trinamool Congress ward president Ashoke Shaw was found dead Sunday morning in a roadside drain in Bhatpara, sparking tension and protests in the area about 33km north of Kolkata.

Dilip Kumar Shaw, a worker at a local jute mill, had been missing for four days. Sanitation workers discovered his decomposed body along Ghoshpara Road in Jagaddal after residents reported a foul smell.

His younger brother Ashoke was shot and bombed to death on Nov 13, 2024 - the day of Naihati assembly bypolls. That murder case is being heard in a Barrackpore court. Dilip was listed as a prime witness.

Police said Dilip left home Tuesday and did not return. His family filed a missing person complaint at Jagaddal police station. News of his death triggered unrest in the area. Locals blocked roads and vandalised several shops in protest.

"We are reviewing CCTV footage to determine whether foul play was involved," said a senior investigating officer. "We are also probing whether he may have fallen into the drain in an intoxicated state."