Barun Biswas murder case: Father names ex-minister in court testimony
Times of India | 1 September 2026
Kolkata: A 92-year-old father broke down in tears in a Bongaon court on Monday while deposing as the 38th witness in the murder case of schoolteacher and anti-rape activist Barun Biswas, pleading for justice for his slain son.
Jagadish Biswas appeared before Judge Durgashankar Rana at Bongaon Track-I Court and recorded his testimony in the long-pending case. According to court sources, while describing the circumstances surrounding his son’s murder, Jagadish named former state minister Jyotipriya Mallick, popularly known as Balu, among those he suspected of having links to the killing.
Barun was shot dead outside Gobardanga railway station on July 5, 2012, while returning home from school. Fourteen years after the murder, his family alleged that justice had yet to be delivered and accused investigating agencies of conducting a “farce in the name of investigation”.
During his deposition, Jagadish told the court that the politician had paid contract killers to eliminate his younger son. The allegation, made during the trial, is yet to be established in court.
The father also alleged that neither the police officers who investigated the case at the time nor CID extended any cooperation to him after his son’s murder. He further claimed that he was not even allowed to speak about the circumstances surrounding Barun’s death.
Nirmalya Saha appeared for the accused, while Debaranjan Bandyopadhyay represented the prosecution. Both lawyers confirmed that Barun’s father had named the former minister during his deposition. The trial will proceed based on evidence and submissions placed before the court.
The case has gained renewed attention after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s govt reopened the 14-year-old murder case along with several other old cases. Barun’s family had earlier written to the chief minister seeking justice and also met him in person. A fresh complaint was subsequently lodged with police. Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also been named in one of the complaints, while Barun’s elder brother, Asit Biswas, has directly named Mallick.
Barun, a Bengali teacher at Mitra Institution (Main) in Kolkata, had emerged as a prominent voice against the perpetrators of a series of gang-rape incidents in Sutia, North 24-Parganas, during the Left Front regime. He was among the crucial witnesses and had actively participated in protests demanding justice for the victims.
His murder during the Trinamool Congress regime triggered widespread outrage across Bengal.
Barun’s family accompanied his father to court on Monday. His elder brother, Asit, sister and other relatives were also present.
“Let my son get justice,” the grieving father pleaded before the court.