Bengal: Municipality Vice-Chairman's Body Found Hanging In House

A senior police official said the body of the vice-chairman of North Barrackpore Municipality was found hanging in the loft of his house.

Kolkata:The body of the vice-chairman of a municipality in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district was found hanging in his house on Saturday, prompting his family to lodge a police complaint suspecting foul play.

A senior police official said the body of Satyajit Bandyopadhyay, vice-chairman of North Barrackpore Municipality, was found hanging in the loft of his house, located on a secluded side of the roof that was not regularly accessed by family members.

Bandyopadhyay had been missing for two days but returned to his house on Saturday morning, just hours before his body was discovered. The official said an investigation was underway to determine whether it was a case of suicide or if there were other circumstances behind his unnatural death.

"We have learnt he was under severe mental stress and a 'suicide' note has named a few people who were responsible for this stress. We are investigating everything," the official added. The handwritten note is also being examined by experts.

The chairman of the TMC-run civic board Malay Ghosh said Bandyopadhyay had been his long-time political associate and even participated in a board meeting on Wednesday.

"There was no abnormality in his conduct on that day. He had been a councillor since 1984. I am feeling sad," Ghosh told reporters.

The incident followed the abortive attempt on the life of TMC councillor and Borough chairman of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Susanta Ghosh in front of his residence in the metropolis on Friday night.