Bengal BJP MLA Debendra Nath Ray found hanging in market, murder suspected

New Delhi : A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA in West Bengal was found dead with his body hanging in an open verandah outside a shop early this morning in North Dinajpur district, the party has alleged murder of the MLA.

The shop where his body was found hanging is around 1 kilometer away from his residence.

A news report claims that one of the family members had informed that some people had come at around 1 am and had taken the MLA away with them. The MLA's family has demanded a probe into his death.

The hanging body was spotted by the locals on Monday morning.

"Ray was found hanging near a shop at Hemtabad area this (Monday) morning. We have started an investigation," news agency PTI quoted a senior district police officer as saying.

Bharatiya Janata Party has criticized the act and also claimed that this is a clear case of murder. BJP chief JP Nadda tweeted on the matter.

Debendra Nath Ray had contested and won the Hemtabad assembly segment - a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes - on a CPM  ticket backed by the Congress in 2016 but had switched over to the BJP last year after the Lok Sabha election.

Hemtabad in is North Dinajpur district.