BJP Leader Raju Jha Shot Dead In West Bengal By Unidentified Miscreants

Kolkata: In a shocking incident, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Raju Jha, was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district on Saturday (April 1) evening. According to the police, Jha, a Durgapur-based businessman, was on his way to Kolkata with some colleagues when he was attacked outside a confectionery shop in the Shaktigarh area.

"In the car, there were three persons including Raju Jha. The motive of the accused is yet to be ascertained. Further investigation is underway," said Bardhaman SP Kamnasis Senas quoted by ANI. The police rushed Jha to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The injured persons are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

West Bengal | BJP leader Raju Jha was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Shaktigarh of Purba Bardhaman

It is an unfortunate incident and an investigation is being done: Kamanasish Sen, SP Purba Bardhaman pic.twitter.com/uYnrnVRZ7w — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2023

The accused fled the spot immediately after the incident, and their motive is still unclear. During the Left Front's rule, Jha was accused of operating an illegal coal business in Silpanchal. In the Trinamool government, various cases were also registered against him. He joined the BJP ahead of the last assembly elections in December 2021, in the presence of State President Dilip Ghosh.

#WATCH | Union minister & BJP leader Anurag Thakur reacts on the death of BJP leader Raju Jha who was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Shaktigarh of Purba Bardhaman in West Bengal last night pic.twitter.com/3iKy5FyLWM

— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2023

Speaking to reporters on Sunday (April 2), BJP's West Bengal president and MP, Sukanta Majumdar, said, "It is not important which party he (the deceased) belonged to. What matters is the fact that a citizen of the state was shot dead by five people in broad daylight. Such incidents never happened in Bengal earlier. We only heard of such incidents in other states".

"The fact that such incidents are happening here shows that the law and order situation in the state has totally collapsed," Majumdar added as quoted by ANI.