IANS

MIDNAPORE COMMUNIST Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) leader and former minister Sushanta Ghosh, who is facing murder charges in the Midnapore skeleton case, was attacked with a shoe by a man on Tuesday, police said.

“Shyama Pada Kundu, a resident of Garbeta in the district, attacked Ghosh after he came from a court in Midnapore.

He has been arrested,” said a Midnapore Sadar police station officer.Some locals claimed Kundu was a Trinamool supporter.

The incident happened after Ghosh, who has been granted bail by the apex court and is required to give attendance in a local court from time to time, was coming out of the court.

The man came from behind and rained blows on Ghosh with a shoe before he was taken away by police. “He is a killer and I have done what he deserves. I have no regrets,” shouted the man from inside a police vehicle. Ghosh later claimed that the Trinamoolled West Bengal government wanted him dead and so they have not provided him adequate security in spite of repeated pleas with the higher authorities.

“The government wants me killed. In spite of repeated pleas for my security, they have not taken any steps. My advocates and I personally have requested higher administrative officers to provide me security but they are yet to pay heed,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra, of the CPI-M, condemned the incident and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of inciting attacks against the Marxists.

“They are intentionally not providing Ghosh with security.

They are inciting people to attack us and our supporters.

I strongly condemn this incident and demand he be provided with adequate security immediately,” said Mishra.

Ghosh was arrested on August 11 in connection with the recovery of skeletons near his house in West Midnapore district in June last year.

Following the recovery, a villager, Shyamal Acharya, filed a police complaint, claiming that one of the skeletons was of his father Ajay Acharya.

The FIR filed in the case claimed that on September 22, 2002, Acharya and some other members of the Trinamool Congress were attacked by 40 armed people belonging to the CPI-M, including Ghosh