Dalit youth punished for working for BJP, killed and body hanged to tree with a chilling political message on shirt; party blames TMC

In a shocking incident, body of a 20-year Dalit youth, a BJP worker was found hanging from a tree in West Bengal's Purulia district at Dawn on Wednesday. The party alleges a political murder linked to the civic polls in the state during which a massive violence was triggered that took several lives. The Dalit youth Trilochan Mahato was found hanging by a nylon rope with a tree near his home at Supurdin Village in Purulia's Balarampur block. A chilling message was scribbled on the back and front of his white T-shirt and a not was found near his feet.

A note saying: “18 bachelors bayose BJP rajneeti. Ebar bojh,”, roughly translated, the messages said, "This is for doing BJP politics from age 18. Been trying to kill you since the vote. Failed. Today you are dead." Near the body, according to Trilochan's father, Hari Mahato's police complaint, a broken pen, a broken refill, a mobile, wallet, slippers were found flung around. And Trilochan's new bicycle.

Assailing the Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress government over the incident, Shah wrote on Twitter, "Deeply hurt by the brutal killing of our young karyakarta, Trilochan Mahato, in Balarampur, West Bengal. A young life full of possibilities was brutally taken under state's patronage. He was hanged on a tree just because his ideology differed from that of state-sponsored goons."

He said, "The present TMC govt in West Bengal has surpassed the violent legacy of Communist rule. Entire BJP mourns this tragic loss & stands firmly with Trilochan Mahato's family in this hour of grief. His sacrifice for organisation & ideology will not go in vain."

The death has left local BJP leaders puzzled. “He was not actively into politics. He wrote some graffiti for us and drew some lotus symbols. His association with our party was mostly through some of his friends, who roped him in because of his good handwriting and drawing skills,” said Gopinath Goswami, an RSS leader-turned-BJP member of Purulia Zilla Parishad.

"Because you are involved with the BJP even when you are only 18 years, it has claimed your life. I have been searching for you since the panchayat elections and now you are dead," the officer said quoting from the note.

"We were informed by his family (about it) but despite searches throughout the night we could not spot him," the officer said.

Purulia SP Joy Biswas said prima facie personal enmity - and not politics - appeared to have led to the death. "The matter is under investigation," he added.

Bengal tense as BJP worker found hanging from tree
Amit Singh Deo and Sujay Khanra | TNN | Updated: May 31, 2018, 09:21 IST
A poster found near the body says he lost his life for working for BJPA poster found near the body says he lost his life for working for BJP
PURULIA/MIDNAPORE: The body of a 20-year-old BJP worker was found hanging from a tree in Purulia's Balarampur on Wednesday with the message - "BJP politics at only 18 years ..." - scribbled on the back of his T-shirt. A poster found nearby reiterated the message and added, "Have been trying to do this since the polls, couldn't. Today your life ends."
Police lodged a case of abduction and murder. T rilochan Mahato, a final-year history honours student of Balarampur College, was associated with BJP Yuva Morcha.

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