Two CID personnel were killed while defusing bombs in a village near Bangladesh border in Malda district on Monday, even as four TMC men were killed and four others were injured while making bombs ahead of the last phase of polling on May 5 in the State.
Sub-Inspector Vishuddhananda Mishra and Constable Subrata Chowdhury died while they were being rushed to Kolkata for further treatment after being seriously injured when two crude bombs went off as the CID bomb squad officials were trying to defuse them, senior police officers said.
Earlier in the day, an explosion occurred when bombs were being made in the house of one Giasu Sheikh in Jaunpur village under Baishnab Nagar Police Station at about 1 am, Superintendent of Police Syed Waquar Raza said.
One person died on the spot and three others succumbed to their injuries in Malda Medical College and Hospital.
The deceased were identified as Kalam Sheikh (35), Simu Sheikh (28), Surup Sheikh (35) and Alam Sheikh (30).
The Bengal ruling party sources, however, claimed that the deaths were a result of a post-poll clash between the Congress and the TMC in which the Congress supporters bombed the victims to death.
Bengal, particularly Malda, Murshidabad and Birbhum had of late hit the news headlines as the mushrooming bomb-manufacturing units had assumed the size of a cottage industry.
Meanwhile, post-poll violence continued throughout the State including Capital Kolkata where bands of alleged Trinamool men continued night-raids on the houses of Opposition workers to avenge their taking part in electoral exercise.
Attacks took place at Haridevpur in Behala East constituency where Congress and left-backed Independent candidate Ambikesh Mahapatra was attacked while he was travelling in his car. The house of his polling agent was raided by goons and his daughter was threatened with rape after the election results were out.
“Our fault, We went to vote ignoring their warning that we must not go to vote,” said S Bar a victim.
Similar attacks were staged at Jadavpur constituency where several houses of Opposition voters were attacked by Trinamool goons who smashed window panes, molested women and beat men giving some of them broken limbs.
At neighbouring Kasba constituency many Opposition houses were attacked and even children were not spared. Similar late-night attacks were staged at Bagha Jatin area. “They raided the houses of voters because they defied their threat and went out in large numbers to vote,” Sujan Chakrabarty a former CPI(M) MP said. He is contesting from the Jadavpur Assembly seat this time round.
While the police had not yet arrested a single person Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool’s candidate from Behala East constituency Sovan Chatterjee said, “the Opposition does not know how to play. If they cannot bowl or bat well and if their bowls go for a six and if their batsmen get bowled by our bowlers then where is our fault.”
Even as the number of such attacks came in from far off places too Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury on Monday took out a long protest march demanding immediate police action.