BJP worker’s autopsy report submitted to Calcutta HC, indicates suicide

Kolkata: The autopsy report of the 27-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, who was found dead in Kolkata on May 6, was submitted to the Calcutta high court on Tuesday and indicates he died by suicide.

Union home minister Amit Shah, who was in Bengal when the death was reported, met Arjun Chaurasia’s family and blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the “political murder”. He sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death.

BJP leader and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal, representing Chaurasia’s family which has alleged the BJP worker was murdered, said the post-mortem report has cited hanging as the cause of death. “While this indicates suicide, we want to wait for the viscera report to see if Chaurasia was drugged. He could have been hanged by someone while he was unconscious.”

Tibrewal said Chaurasia would have needed a chair or something similar to tie the rope to the ceiling. “Nothing was found at the spot.”

Chaurasia was found hanging at an abandoned railway quarter and his post-mortem was conducted on May 7 at the Army’s Eastern Command Hospital in Kolkata on the court’s order. The autopsy report was submitted in a sealed envelope to the court.

TMC cited the report and targeted Shah on Tuesday. “HOME MINISTER @AmitShah IS A LIAR! Just like we said, he came to #Bengal and BLATANTLY LIED. Lied about law & order in the state, lied about safety and security issues, lied about @BJP4India’s concern for the people of this country. It’s a shame that BJP had to stoop THIS LOW,” tweeted the TMC.

Chaurasia’s brother, Anand, maintained his sibling had no apparent reason to take his life. “We are fully cooperating with the Kolkata Police. I want to know why Arjun died by suicide. He had no reason to do so.”

BJP leader Rahul Sinha said they are yet to know how the hanging took place.

Tibrewal said Chaurasia’s family will have to file an application to get a copy of the autopsy report. The Kolkata Police, which formed a special investigation team (SIT) on Sunday to probe the death, also filed an application for a copy of the report.

The SIT has questioned residents of Cossipore, where the body was found, and examined CCTV cameras installed in the area. Anand told the SIT that a van never seen earlier in the area was parked near their home for several hours on the night of May 5 when his brother went missing.