A Trinamool Congress panchayat-level leader was killed in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Wednesday and CCTV footage has now emerged showing that he was brutally hacked to death.
In the footage, Pintu Chakraborty, a panchayat committee member and businessman, can be seen getting on his bike at an intersection, when two men, who appear to have been waiting nearby, approach him. The men pull out sickles from a bag and one of them attacks Chakraborty from behind.
The man hits Chakraborty near the neck with the weapon thrice and he and the two-wheeler both hit the ground. As Chakraborty raises his hands to shield himself, the man keeps hacking away at his neck area. Two other man step out and that's when the attacker stops and begins to walk away while pointing a weapon at them.
Chakraborty, who had been lying in a pool of blood, can then be seen sitting up and holding his head as the other two men step forward to help.
Police said the Trinamool Congress leader was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.
On Saturday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Chandannagar) Arnab Biswas said three people linked to the murders have been arrested so far. He said witnesses have confirmed their involvement.
The police have also ruled out a political angle to the murder and said local strongman Bishwanath Das had a dispute with Chakraborty over property. Mr Biswas said Das hired two contract killers from North 24 Paraganas to kill the Trinamool Congress leader and paid them Rs 3 lakh.
