Trinamool suspends leader arrested for shooting

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday suspended party leader Pabitra Roy arrested for allegedly shooting dead a youth while fleeing an accident site in Malda district.

Englishbazar Panchayat Samity chief Roy was arrested Sunday night after he opened fire on a mob which tried to chase his vehicle after it fatally knocked down a cyclist. The firing killed a youth and seriously injured another.

Indicted by police for the youth's murder as well as the cyclist's killing, Roy, during the day was remanded to three day's police custody by a local court.

Asserting that the Trinamool has a zero tolerance for such acts, party Rajya Sabha member and spokesperson Derek O'Brien said Roy has been suspended from the party.

"He (Roy) is not a Trinamool leader. He has been arrested and with orders coming from the top, he has been suspended from the party. Such acts demand strongest of actions and we have zero tolerance for such acts," said O'Brien.

The opposition hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government over the issue.

"The incident is only one of the many that have been happening across the state under the Trinamool. There is no law and order in the state, the administration under this government is non -existent," said state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Communist Party of India-Marxist MP Mohammad Salim castigated the Trinamool for harbouring criminals and encouraging crime.

"The hallmark of the Trinamool is patronage of criminals. They encourage the criminals run amuck and if by chance they are caught, the Trinamool is quick to disown them. Law and order under the Trinamool has collapsed in the state," he said.