Sarkar was shot by three men on a motorbike in front of his plywood factory in Malda on January 2. He succumbed to injuries later in the day. He was cremated in the presence of ministers Firhad Hakim and Gautam Deb and several other TMC leaders from the region on Friday.

CCTV footage showed the councillor being chased by assailants on a motorbike and subsequently shot at from a close range. The police have arrested five people in connection with the murder, including two suspects apprehended on the day of the murder and three others in the following days.

The police investigation suggests that Rohan, a resident of Jhaljhalia Railway Barrack Colony, and Bablu from the Mahananda Colony area were key players in the murder plot. Rohan is suspected to be the mastermind behind the crime, and it is believed that a hired “shooter” from Bihar carried out the killing.

Dulal Sarkar’s widow Chaitali Sarkar has urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring all those responsible to justice. She alleged that her husband’s political influence had created enemies who resorted to hiring assassins from Bihar to eliminate him.

Meanwhile, the Bengal police have been asked to review the security of VIPs following the TMC leader’s murder. According to sources, during an administrative meeting, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the police for withdrawing Sarkar’s security.