New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has offered a cash reward of Rs 50,000 to any person who would provide information on the missing accused individuals in the murder case of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Abhijit Sarkar, sources said here on Friday.
Sarkar was allegedly killed in the post-poll violence that broke out in West Bengal after the declaration of Assembly election results on May 2, last year.
On August 19, 2021, based on a report by the National Human Rights Commission, the Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI investigation into the cases of rape and murder that were reported during the post-poll violence in the state.
According to the CBI, the accused persons in the case are Amit Das alias Keto, a resident of Kolkata, Tumpa Das alias Kali, Arup Das alias Bapi, Sanjay Barik and Papiya Barik, all residents of Sitalatala Lane in Kolkata.
“The CBI has declared a cash reward of Rs 50,000 against each and it will be given to anyone who will give information leading to their arrest,” the Special Crime Branch of CBI said.
It further said that the identity of the informer will be kept as a secret.
Pertinently, so far no arrests have been made in the said case by the probe agency.
Though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that there was no incident of post-poll violence in the state, an NHRC report has said that there were several cases of rape and murder after the announcement of Assembly election results in 2021.
Sarkar’s family had continuously alleged that the Kolkata police were not investigating the matter properly and were not arresting the ‘Trinamool goons’ responsible for the murder, who are not only moving scot-free, but also threatening the family members.
Biswajit Sarkar, the elder brother of the victim, has filed petitions to probe Sarkar’s death before the Supreme Court and the Calcutta high court.
Sarkar was allegedly strangled to death with a television cable. He was the only BJP worker who died in the state capital in the post-poll violence.