Teachers shut down school, protest against colleague’s murder

MALDA, 21 OCT: Teachers of Raniganj High School in Gazole shut down the school for three days from today protesting against the “murder” of their colleague and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.

The teachers took the decision yesterday after police failed to arrest the mastermind behind the murder of one of their colleagues Utpal Sarkar.

Utpal Sarkar (46), an assistant teacher of Raniganj High School was shot dead at Chhitka-Mahal on National Highway 34 under Gazole police station on the night of 2 October when he was returning to Malda in a car accompanied by Mr Ashok Saha, the owner of the car and the headmaster of another high school in Gazole.

Police had arrested only two people in connection with the attack and seized a pick-up van based on some statements, but failed to arrest the driver of the car, who is believed to be the owner of the car also.

Police also identified another person as the "prime suspect" but could not arrested him yet. According to the Gazole police station, the suspect had and police were still searching for him. Police said that if they arrest the suspected person along with car owner, the driver who was also the owner of the car, they would be able to ascertain the motive behind the murder of Utpal Sarkar.

However, the night when the incident occurred, the criminals did not take other valuables kept in the car apart from a sum of Rs10, 000.

But the two arrested persons ~ Rintu Sheikh and Bablu Sheikh ~ both residents of Kaliachak, had revealed during their interrogation that they wanted to rob them.

Police had interrogated Mr Ashok Saha, a business man, and his staff who was also shot at but had a narrow escape.

At present police have planned to check the call lists of some cell phones used by the persons connected with the incident to gather more details and to trace the accused.

The Malda SP Mr Bhuban Mandal said: “Local people suspect that it was not a case of robbery but a well planned murder. We are trying our best to take the necessary actions for arresting the suspected persons”.