Purnima Kandu, the wife of slain Congress councillor Tapan Kandu, has died of poisoning, according to the autopsy report. Purnima was found unconscious in her house on the night of October 11, the last day of Durga Puja, and was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead. Her death comes more than two years after her husband’s murder in Jhalda, West Bengal, in March 2022.
Suspicious Circumstances Surrounding Death
Purnima Kandu, who had gone on to become the vice-chairperson and later the chairperson of the Jhalda municipal agency after her husband’s death, was allegedly poisoned. Her nephew, Mithun, accused foul play, claiming she was poisoned before being found unconscious. The Congress’s district president, Nepal Mahato, also voiced suspicions, stating that her death appeared unnatural.
The police have not yet commented on the autopsy findings, but Purnima’s body was sent to Deben Mahato Medical College and Hospital in Purulia for the autopsy after her family alleged poisoning.
Political Tensions and Congress’s Reaction
Tapan Kandu, Purnima’s husband, was murdered in March 2022 in what was widely believed to be a politically motivated killing. The Calcutta High Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into his death, leading to the arrest of seven individuals. Purnima Kandu remained a loyal Congress leader until her death, according to Bengal Congress chief Shubhankar Sarkar, who suggested her death might be linked to political motives.
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In light of the autopsy report, the Congress has demanded a CBI investigation into Purnima’s death, alleging it to be another case of political violence. Bengal Congress chief Shubhankar Sarkar, in a Facebook post, highlighted Tapan Kandu’s murder as an attempt by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to gain control of the local governing body, implying that Purnima’s death could be tied to the same struggle for power.
CBI Probe Demanded
The death of Purnima Kandu has sparked calls for justice, with the Congress party insisting on a CBI investigation similar to the one conducted for Tapan Kandu’s murder. The party has raised concerns over the political atmosphere in West Bengal, especially in Jhalda, where the Kandu family was prominent in local politics.
As investigations continue, the police are expected to provide further details on the circumstances of her death.
