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This is an archive article published on August 21, 2016
Syndicate leader murder: Family lives in fear, says was killed as he demanded share
Aparna Roy, sister of the slain leader claimed, 'He used to work for other Trinamool leaders. Trouble started when he started asking for his own share.'
3 min read
Sanjoy Roy’s sister Archana (left) and eldest brother Jibanananda. (Express photo by Subham Dutta)
It has been more than six months since Trinamool Congress leader Sanjoy Roy, alias Buro, was shot dead in broad daylight in Baguihati area of Kolkata. With the police terming his murder as a fallout of syndicate rivalry, his family now fears for the life of his eldest brother, Jibanananda Roy, who is also a Trinamool leader. Recalling February 25, Sanjay’s sister Archana Roy said in Kolkata: “I will never forget that day. Since then, I have toiled day and night to make my family return to normal life. I regret that my brother joined politics. I fear for the life of my eldest brother now.”
Sanjay, suspected to be a close associate of state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Basu, was shot dead by four motorcycle-borne assailants at Jagatpur. Since then, nine persons — all allegedly linked to the syndicate racket and Trinamool supporters — have been arrested in the case. These include Trinamool councillor Birendra Nath Biswas’ son Biswajit Biswas, alias Babai, who allegedly planned the murder. “It was a cold blooded murder and Babai has been charged under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC,” DCP (Detective Department) Santosh Pandey said. “As I reached home from my daughter’s school on February 25, I heard someone saying ‘Buro has been murdered’,” said Jibanananda in Kolkata.
“He was the youngest of us five and used to stay in Mumbai. He saw his brother doing well as a promoter in Kolkata. He had big political aspirations… Even when his family asked him to stay in Mumbai, he wanted to come back and work for Trinamool,” he added. “He came to Kolkata in 2006 ,and within a few months, he had established a superb network with local Trinamool leaders. They treated him like their own son,” said Jibanananda.
Aparna Roy, another sister of Sanjoy, claimed he was not directly linked to the syndicate business. “He used to work for other Trinamool leaders. Trouble started when he started asking for his own share… We belong to a lower middle class family and did not know that greed of power and money can ruin someone’s life,” she said over phone from Mumbai.
On the arrest of Biswajit Biswas, Aparna said: “He used to call Sanjoy his own brother. They used to have food together. I can’t believe he planned it… I want all the culprits to be hanged.” Asked whether the family has received any threats, she added: “Yes, we did when we demanded a CBI probe in the case… I think twice before steeping out of my house…”
Sanjay, within a few years, had managed to own more than three-fourth of the property in Baguihati with no other source of income. Sources in the police said he made money as a promoter and through extortion. “He was running extortion rackets in the Baguihati-Newtown area. It was probably the fallout of the accused’s greed that he was murdered,” said a police officer.
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