Kolkata, February 9 The ruling TMC in West Bengal has suspended Rabindra Nath Bhattacharya, a councillor of North Barrackpore Municipality, for six years after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting an 80-year-old man, resulting in his death.
TMC MP Partha Bhowmick said the party has taken a "zero-tolerance" stance on the issue, and has suspended the councillor with immediate effect.
The deceased, Tulsi Adhikari, was allegedly attacked by Bhattacharya for protesting against an illegal construction in front of his house in Ward Number 23. Adhikari collapsed on the spot on Saturday and was declared dead at Jagadish Chandra Bose Hospital in Barrackpore Cantonment, police said.
"The councillor has been suspended from the party for six years. The police will take their own course of action. The party will not shield anyone involved in such an act," Bhowmick said.
Bhattacharya, who has been arrested, will be produced before a court later on Monday, a police officer said.
Before his arrest, the councillor had dismissed the allegations as "baseless and politically motivated," claiming that he was the one who was attacked.
Following the incident, locals of the area have been staging demonstrations, demanding exemplary punishment for the culprit.