Kamrul Sheikh alias Chota Lalan, one of the key accused in the Bhadu Sheikh murder case in Bagtui village, who had been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) died today, succumbing to oral cancer. The killing of Bhadu Sheikh a Trinamul Congress gram panchayat upa pradhan in Birbhum district has rocked state politics in March 2022 as ten people were burnt to death in retaliation by TMC supporters close to Sheikh. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on the directives of the state chief minister to probe the entire incident and the first arrest was made.

Later the case of the Bagtui massacre and also that of the murder of Bhadu Sheikh were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation by Calcutta High Court. CBI sleuths set up a temporary camp in Rampurhat to probe both these two cases and started arresting the absconding accused one after another. On 12 December 2022, nine days after his arrest the prime accused Lalan Sheikh was found lying dead in the CBI interrogation camp in Birbhum district. The West Bengal CID has taken over investigations in the unnatural death (UD) case of the accused in the CBI custody.

Another accused, Chota Lalan alias Kamrul Sheikh, was arrested by the CBI and was sent to jail. He has been released only two months ago on bail after he was detected with mouth cancer and he was undergoing treatment in Kolkata. Chota Lalan died today due to oral cancer in his native village of Bagtui, according to Rampurhat police.

Chota Lalan was also an accused in the murder of his own brother in Birbhum district earlier. Bhadu Sheikh was killed when some people hurled bombs and fired bullets from close range at Bagtui village more in the evening of 21 March 2022. That night his supporters poured kerosene and petrol on the houses of his rivals and torched them, killing ten people. Fire Brigade officials found the charred bodies from the ashes next morning.

A number of flesh samples have been sent for forensic test for DNA test and matching. On the instructions of the chief minister, the TMC anchal pradhan has been arrested. He had allegedly prevented police from rescuing the villagers trapped inside the burning houses in Bagtui village.