West Bengal: Woman hacked to death over jilted relationship, accused arrested

Police sources said that during interrogation Sushanta told investigators that he was in a relationship with Sutapa, a third-year undergraduate student of Baharampur Girls' College. They further revealed that Sushanta's relationship with Sutapa was deteriorating in the recent past. Sutapa's body was brought to her home earlier in the day.

Malda (West Bengal): A woman was hacked to death by a man in West Bengal's Murshidabad district late on Monday night over a jilted relationship. The victim has been identified as Sutapa Chowdhury, a resident of the Malda district. Police said that the accused Sushanta Chowdhury, also a resident of Malda, was arrested within hours after the incident from the Samsherganj town in the district.

According to sources in the district police, the incident took place in Baharampur town in the district on Monday night. They further revealed that after hacking Sutapa to death, the accused threatened some people with a sharp weapon who were trying to rescue her. After that, Sushanta fled from the post.

The accused was produced before the Baharampur district sessions court on Tuesday and remanded to police custody for 10 days by the Chief Judicial Magistrate. Police sources said that during interrogation, Sushanta told investigators that he was in a relationship with Sutapa, a third-year undergraduate student of Baharampur Girls' College. They further revealed that Sushanta's relationship with Sutapa was deteriorating in the recent past. Sutapa's body was brought to her home earlier in the day.

Lashing out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the State over the incident, Opposition parties alleged that law and order in the state have deteriorated. Demanding exemplary punishment for the accused, the Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury, who is also the local MP, said that earlier the town used to be a safe place for women.

"Baharampur used to be a safe place for women, I cannot accept this deterioration of law and order," Chowdhury said. The State Congress president led a candlelight march on Tuesday evening in protest against the murder.

BJP also targeted the State Government over the incident. Speaking to reporters Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari asked how can such an incident take place in the heart of Baharampur town in the evening. "There is no word to describe what happened in Baharampur, perpetrators of crimes now feel that nothing will happen to them," said Adhikari.