Kidnapped Councillor Found In Car

The Independent councilor from Kandi who was allegedly kidnapped by Trinamool activists on February 16, was found inside an abandoned car at Baranjha in Majhlishpur early on Sunday.

The councilor, Debojyoti Roy was found inside a red car where he was gagged and tied-up. The rescue was apparently accidental as the police team was looking for a missing car. The police could not catch any of the accused. They came to know from Roy that the kidnappers had plans to take him to Jharkhand. He also told the police that he couldn’t see anyone since he was blindfolded. But he heard some of their conversations of the people who kidnapped him.

Recalling the incident, Roy said: "They blindfolded me and took me to a house. At night, they used to make me walk from one village to another. I was given only puffed rice and chapatti.""They did not even allow me to go out to relieve myself. Last night, they took me out and put me in a car. I overheard them saying they would go to Bolpur for refueling and then take me to Jharkhand. I am sure they would have murdered me," he added.

The reason behind the kidnapping is being speculated as a strategy to influence the voting process. After Congress had lost the vote, Roy his wife Santana, another Left-backed Independent councilor, had pledged support to the Congress. Had the abducted leader managed to vote, the party would have been tied with Trinamool at nine votes each and a toss would have been required to decide the winner of the no-confidence motion.