Calcutta high court acquits ex-CPI(M) MLA, 2 other party leaders in 2010 murder case
Times of India | 15 August 2026
KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court acquitted former CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Patra and two other party leaders in a 2010 murder case, saying there was no evidence on record to show that the appellants were present at the alleged place of occurrence during the incident.
The four-time former MLA from Taldangra in West Bengal's Bankura district had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court and was out on bail, while Ajbahar Khan and Jiten Patra remain incarcerated.
The high court division bench on Friday acquitted the three CPI(M) leaders of the charge of murdering Madan Khan, a Trinamool Congress activist in Taldangra, holding that there was no evidence showing that the appellants were present at the alleged place of occurrence during the incident.
The bench, comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, also held that there was no evidence that the accused were carrying the firearms allegedly used in the crime, and no arms were seized during the investigation.
It observed that two letters produced by the prosecution established that Patra was present at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly at the date and time of the alleged crime.
Madan Khan's son Ismail Khan had filed a police complaint alleging that a group of CPI(M) supporters led by Patra attacked their house on June 29, 2010, with deadly weapons and killed his father.
The three CPI(M) leaders were convicted of the murder and sentenced by a trial court in December 2022.
The high court bench said witnesses had stated that Ajbahar fired at Madan Khan on Patra's instructions, but the details of such instructions and the exact words used were not established during the trial.
It also noted that prosecution evidence showed two gatherings of CPI(M) and TMC at different locations in the village on June 29, 2010. Turmoil occurred during the meetings and someone fired a gunshot, fatally injuring the victim, the court said.
The court also noted that although the incident allegedly took place at 5 pm on June 29, the complaint was lodged at 10:05 am the next day. No explanation was offered for the delay in filing the complaint, despite the place of occurrence being just 26 kilometres from the police station, it observed.
Holding that the prosecution could not substantiate the charges against the appellants with sufficient evidence, the division bench acquitted the three convicts of all charges and set aside the trial court's conviction and sentence.