The request was rejected because it was considered high risk

Former West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress party office near his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning, August 16, 2026. Police confirmed his body was discovered hanging inside the office, and a purported suicide note was recovered from the scene.

The Birbhum Superintendent of Police, Vidit Raj Bhundesh, stated that authorities are investigating the death as a suicide, noting the note indicated, "No one is responsible for my death." Banerjee's body has been sent for a postmortem examination to determine the precise cause of death. Police from the Rampurhat station responded to the scene following the discovery, which was reported to party workers around 7:15 a.m.

Asish Banerjee was a senior Trinamool Congress leader and a five-time MLA representing the Rampurhat constituency from 2001 to 2026. He served as Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly during the tenure of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Within the state cabinet, he held portfolios including School Education and Agriculture.

His political career concluded after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, in which he lost his seat to...