RELATIVES of Purnima Kandu, the councillor of Jhaldah municipality and wife of murdered Congress leader Tapan Kandu, whose body was found under mysterious circumstances at her residence on the night of October 11, said on Saturday that after getting a copy of the postmortem report – which indicates that she died of poisoning – they would file an FIR as they suspect “foul play.”

On October 11, Purnima was taken to a health centre in Jhalda where she was declared dead by doctors. Later, Mithun Kandu, her nephew, alleged that she was murdered. The post-mortem report submitted by the Deben Mahato Medical College Hospital in Purulia has indicated that the death occurred “due to poisoning.”

Mithun Kandu said on Saturday, “There was no suicide note found by the police. “I suspect that somebody had slowly poisoned my aunt. Once I get the postmortem report, I will file a murder complaint with the police and will also write to the state administration seeking a thorough investigation in this regard.”

Purnima Kandu has served as vice-chairperson and later chairperson of Jhalda Municipality on the basis of directives by the Calcutta High Court, after the Jhalda municipal election results ended in a tie between the Trinamool Congress and the Congress. She was elected in place of Tapan Kandu, her husband, who was murdered in March, 2022.

The Calcutta High Court later ordered a CBI probe into the Tapan Kandu murder case. Till date, seven persons have been arrested in this case.

The Jhalda police said they received the post-mortem report from the hospital on Thursday evening. “Her death remains a mystery and we demand a CBI probe to reveal the truth,” said Nepal Mahato, a senior Congress leader and its district unit president.