TMC leader arrested in Bengal after headmaster’s suicide over corruption pressure

The alleged suicide of a school headmaster has ignited political outrage in West Bengal, leading to the arrest of a ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader accused of coercing the educator into accepting corrupt practices.

Poly Ray, widow of the deceased, told authorities that her husband was targeted for opposing attempts to introduce corruption at the school. “The TMC leader and his associates were trying to enforce corrupt practices. My husband resisted. They threatened to frame him in the mid-day meal scheme unless he paid ₹35 lakh. Unable to endure the humiliation, he took his own life,” she said.

Md Haque, a TMC leader and former student of the school, denied the allegations. “I never threatened the headmaster. He was my teacher. These accusations are entirely false,” Haque said before being taken into police custody on September 5.

Following Ray’s death recently, police arrested Haque along with three others. They face charges including abetment of suicide and criminal intimidation. A senior Murshidabad police officer confirmed, “Prima facie, the allegations against Haque appear to be true. He has been arrested, and we are verifying whether others were involved.”

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, who have described it as an “institutional murder.” Md Selim, CPI(M) state secretary, visiting the family, said, “The teacher could not tolerate the humiliation. This is an institutional murder. Honest educators are dying while corrupt individuals roam free. We will stand by the family and provide all possible legal support.”

The case has intensified scrutiny of corruption allegations in state-run schools and raised pressing questions about the safety and dignity of educators in West Bengal.