Ex-Bengal deputy speaker Asish Banerjee found dead, suicide note recovered

Former West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker and five-time Trinamool Congress MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Aug 16 morning, with police recovering a purported handwritten note near his body.

Banerjee, who was 74, had served as Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the Chief Minister. He represented Rampurhat as an MLA for five terms. Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem.

A handwritten note was recovered near the body in which he wrote that no one was responsible for his death. He also reportedly expressed regret over his decision to enter politics and asked his family members not to get involved in politics.

The purported note also reportedly contained his assertion that he had never been involved in corruption or taken money for any work. It further stated that although he could not accept what he described as wrongdoing within the party, he had been unable to protest against it.

The recovery of the note comes against the backdrop of Banerjee's long political career with the Trinamool Congress and his recent electoral defeat.

Banerjee had been a five-time MLA from Rampurhat but lost the constituency in the recent state Assembly election to BJP candidate Dhruba Saha.

He had also stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district core committee in June, weeks after the party suffered a major defeat in the Assembly elections.

Before entering politics, Banerjee was a professor at Rampurhat College. He later rose through the Trinamool Congress and held several positions in the state government. During the Mamata Banerjee-led government, he served as a minister and handled portfolios including AYUSH and agriculture.

His association with Mamata Banerjee's government also included his tenure as Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly. His political career spanned several years, during which he remained a prominent Trinamool figure in Birbhum and represented Rampurhat repeatedly.

The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated. His body has been sent for postmortem, while the purported handwritten note recovered near the scene is among the material being examined as part of the investigation.

Banerjee's death comes months after the Assembly election in which he lost the Rampurhat seat, and weeks after he stepped down from his position in the Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district core committee.