A POPULAR face of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), who played a key role in unearthing a rape case that happened at a police station over two decades ago, MLA Paresh Pal is now one of the main accused named in a CBI supplementary chargesheet in connection with the murder case of a BJP worker in Kolkata during post-poll violence in 2021.

Pal, who began his political career with the Congress, became MLA from Maniktala constituency for the first time in 1996, as a Congress candidate. He retained the seat in 2001. However, by then he had joined the TMC. In 2006, he lost to CPI(M) candidate Rupa Bagchi.

In 2011, Pal was elected as MLA from Beleghata. He won from Beleghata in 2016 and 2021 as well.

Pal was quite popular in his constituency for his work, which included the introduction of 24×7 ambulance service there. He also introduced the concept of mass marriage in his constituency, apart from a hilsa festival. Since then, many TMC leaders have replicated the hilsa festival concept in their constituencies.

The CBI, looking into the murder of a BJP worker in Kolkata during the 2021 post-poll violence, recently named Pal and two city councillors in its supplementary chargesheet.

The central agency has named 18 other people, including three police personnel – the then officer-in-charge of Narkeldanga Police Station, Subhojit Sen, a sub-inspector, Ratna Sarkar, and one home guard – in the supplementary chargesheet that was submitted before the ACJM, Sealdah, on June 30.

BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar was lynched allegedly by a group of people in the Kankurgachi area of Kolkata on May 2, 2021, as a wave of violence hit the state following the Assembly elections in which the TMC retained power in the state.

Sarkar’s family had accused Pal of orchestrating the murder, claiming that the ruling party leader threatened Sarkar during the election period.