A Block Level Officer (BLO) has been accused of murdering his wife in Shyamaprasad Palli, Ward No. 1 of Cooch Behar town, on Monday evening. The accused, Rajdeep Barua, a librarian by profession, was the BLO of booth number 177 in the area.
The deceased has been identified as Ambalika Sarkar Barua (35). The couple has a 10-year-old son, who was not at home at the time of the incident.
According to police sources, Rajdeep allegedly attacked his wife with a vegetable-cutting knife at their residence, stabbing her in the chest. Ambalika collapsed inside the room and suffered heavy blood loss. Residents rushed her to MJN Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
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The accused husband had also gone to the hospital, but he was later arrested there by officers from Kotwali police station. The exact motive behind the alleged murder has not yet been clarified.
Local sources claimed that Rajdeep had been under pressure after notices were issued in the names of several residents in his ward. It has also been alleged that his mother’s name was removed from the voters’ list. On the day of the incident, he reportedly returned home intoxicated in the afternoon and fell outside the house. His wife helped him inside, following which an argument broke out between the two.
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Ward councillor Chandana Mohanta said, “I have learned that he committed this act while drunk.” Trinamool district general secretary Rakesh Chowdhury stated, “Rajdeep sir was under mental pressure regarding his work. The names of several residents, including his own mother, had been dropped. He had informed me about this matter and talked about leaving the job.”
District Police Superintendent Sandip Karra said, “There is an allegation against the husband of killing his wife in a family dispute. The accused has been arrested.”
