Kolkata: A Trinamool councillor was arrested in north Barrackpore on Sunday after an FIR was filed accusing him of assaulting an 81-year-old man, leading to his death. Ward no. 23 councillor Rabindranath Bhattacharya, also a lawyer and the secretary of Barrackpore Bar Association, allegedly assaulted Tulsi Adhikari over the latter’s complaint over an illegal construction. TMC has suspended Bhattacharya for six years.“We are looking into the matter seriously in connection with the death of the elderly man. We are also waiting for the autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death,” Barrackpore police commissioner Praveen Kumar Tripathi told TOI.According to the complaint, Adhikari and his son Hemanta had protested illegal construction at a neighbourhood house and tried to stop the work. The family claims that the councillor was informed but he took no action and verbally abused Adhikari. The family lodged a complaint with North Barrackpore Municipality. On Sunday morning, Hemanta met the councillor. The latter told Hemanta that the construction was legal and allegedly abused him. Adhikari, said sources, confronted the councillor and questioned him about insulting his son. During the altercation, Adhikari allegedly held the councillor by his collar.“The councillor pushed my father-in-law, causing him to fall on the road. As he got up, he (Adhikari) was kicked by the councillor, after which he collapsed,” The victim’s daughter-in-law Paromita told TOI. Adhikari was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.“The matter is under investigation, and CCTV footage collected from the spot is also being examined,” said Barrackpore DCP (Central) Indravadan Jha.Denying the allegations, Bhattacharya claimed Adhikari and his son had assaulted him. “They grabbed me by the collar and hurled abuses at me. I asked them to leave. After walking some distance, the elderly man fell ill at a vegetable market. I heard he passed away later,” Bhattacharya said.Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick visited Adhikari’s home and assured the family of the party’s support. “The deceased’s family had already lodged a complaint with the municipality regarding an illegal multi-storey construction adjacent to their house. The councillor getting involved and allegedly attacking the man… TMC does not support this under any circumstance.”
