Only small fish have been arrested: Bengal BJP MP seeks CBI probe in Manish Shukla’s murder

The Barrackpore MP made the comments after a candlelight protest march from Barrackpore station to Titagarh.

BJP MP Arjun Singh on Thursday claimed that the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had arrested only “small fish” in connection with the murder of his close aide Manish Shukla in Titagarh in North 24 Parganas on October 4.

He questioned the CID inquiry, and demanded that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Barrackpore MP made the comments after a candlelight protest march from Barrackpore station to Titagarh.

“They have only arrested ‘small fish’, we doubt they will reach out to the ‘big fish’ who are behind Manish Shukla’s murder. If Mamata Banerjee is on the side of truth, then she should have no problem in transferring the case to CBI,” he said.

Singh alleged that TMC leader Uttam Das, who is the municipal administrator of the Barrackpore civic body, gave shelter to those who conspired to kill Shukla.

“We have enough reasons to believe that the killers met him [Uttam Das] after the murder and he gave them shelter,” he added.

Das and Titagarh municipal administrator Prashanta Chowdhury, who is a party colleague, are among the eight people named in the police FIR. Till date, the police have arrested three people in connection with the murder.

Responding to the latest accusations, Uttam Das told the media, “He [Singh] is changing his statement. He has given 100 statement after Shukla’s murder to frame us. It has no importance now.”

The case is being investigated by the CID. The department, according to sources, has recovered a weapon on the basis of information provided by sharpshooter Subodh Yadav, who was arrested on Thursday. The police, however, did not confirm if it was used to murder Shukla. The CID has also seized three bikes allegedly used by the accused.

Accoding to sources, Shukla had organised a rally in Titagarh the day before his murder.

Sources said six sharpshooters were brought over from Bihar to gun down the BJP leader.

The CID, however, did not confirm this.

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