States » EastPosted at: Sep 28 2026 10:31PM


Bengal CM deploys STF, CID after BJP Booth President Chandan Bhalla shot dead in Bolpur

Bolpur, Sep 28 (UNI) The murder of a local BJP leader in Bolpur has prompted the West Bengal government to bring the Special Task Force (STF) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the investigation.
Chandan Bhalla, 42, the BJP booth president of Bolpur ward 12, was shot dead on Sunday night. He suffered a bullet injury to the head and was declared brought dead at Bolpur Sub-Divisional Hospital.
According to Dubrajpur MLA Dhruba Saha, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the STF and CID to assist the Birbhum district police in the investigation. He also asked party leaders to visit Bhalla's family and extend support to them.
Bolpur BJP organisational district president Shyampada Mondal said local party leaders were in Kolkata for a meeting with BJP national president Nitin Nabin when they received news of the killing. Nabin subsequently asked them to return to Bolpur.
Birbhum Superintendent of Police Vidit Raj Bhundesh said the killing appeared to have been planned. Police have secured the crime scene and forensic experts have collected samples. A canine squad has also been deployed to search for clues along a two-kilometre stretch between Trishulpatty and Arati More.
Police are examining eyewitness accounts, mobile phone records and tower location data as there were no CCTV cameras near the spot where the shooting took place. No arrests have been made so far.
An eyewitness, Abhijit Ghosh, told police that two men on a motorcycle allegedly shot Bhalla from close range before fleeing. According to his statement, the pillion rider fired the shot while the motorcycle rider had covered his face with a gamcha.
Investigators are examining several possible angles, including the possibility that the attackers were hired shooters from neighbouring Jharkhand, although this has not been established.
Bhalla's family, meanwhile, has alleged a political motive behind the killing. His wife, Shyamali Bhalla, suspected the involvement of the Trinamool Congress and recalled that their house had been vandalised in 2021, after which the family had left the area for around two months. The allegation has not been established by the investigation.
Bhalla's body was handed over to his family after the post-mortem examination for the final rites. Several BJP MLAs attended the last rites, while a heavy police presence has been maintained across Bolpur to prevent any law-and-order situation. UNI DC NST CDS
Tags: #Bengal CM deploys STF# CID after BJP Booth President Chandan Bhalla shot dead in Bolpur
More News

Minor breach in Champaran embankment near Bagaha as Gandak rises above record flood level

29 Sep 2026 | 12:02 AM

Bagaha (West Champaran), Sep 28 (UNI) A minor breach developed in the Champaran embankment near Bagaha in West Champaran district on Monday night after the water level of the Gandak river rose about 35 cm above its highest-ever flood level of 90.90 metres.

see more..

Seven enrolled, none in class: Malda girls’ school under scrutiny

28 Sep 2026 | 11:29 PM

Malda, Sep 28 (UNI) A government-aided girls’ school in the heart of West Bengal's Malda town has come under scrutiny over extremely low student enrolment, teacher attendance and the lack of regular classroom teaching.

see more..

Bengal rolls out housing plan for jute mill workers

28 Sep 2026 | 11:27 PM

Kolkata, Sep 28 (UNI) The West Bengal Labour Department has launched a pilot housing scheme aimed at providing affordable homes to economically weaker jute mill workers and their families in North 24 Parganas and Hooghly.

see more..

Bengal: Three FIRs filed over SRFTI clash, no arrests yet

28 Sep 2026 | 11:26 PM

Kolkata, Sep 28 (UNI) Three separate FIRs have been registered at Panchasayar Police Station in connection with the clash at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), with police launching an investigation, even as no one has been detained or arrested so far.

see more..

Seven senior IPS officers in race for next West Bengal DGP

28 Sep 2026 | 11:20 PM

Kolkata, Sep 28 (UNI) The state government has short listed seven officers eligible to become DG and IGP of the West Bengal Police to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

see more..