At least eight people were burnt to death in Bagtui Village of Rampurhat sub-division in Birbhum district on Monday night in an alleged retaliatory attack by the supporters of a Trinamool Congress deputy pradhan Bhadu Sheikh. The incident took place hours after Bhadu Sheikh was bombed to death by the rival faction of his party, sources said.
The incident left six women and two children dead. Six people with substantial burn injuries were undergoing treatment at hospitals in Rampurhat and Kolkata. Despite large police presence, terrified villagers were fleeing the village in hordes, locals said adding thatthe menfolk had already left the village.
Even as the Opposition BJP demanded immediate imposition of Article 355 or 356 and a probe by the CBI or NIA, the Mamata Banerjee Government appointed a Special Investigation Team comprising senior IPS officers Gyanwant Singh, Miraj Khalid and Sanjay Singh.
At least five houses of the rival group were set on fire by alleged TMC miscreants in their bid to avenge the murder of their leader Bhadu Sheikh, sources said, adding both the groups belonged to the TMC.
“Some people entered our village and started hurling bombs indiscriminately barely a few hours after Bhadu Sheikh’s death. Ten of us took shelter inside a shop and locked it from the inside. Then they threw petrol and torched the shop and two children and six women save for the two of us, were charred to death,” said Nazma Biwi admitted in a Kolkata hospital with 40 per cent burns. Another girl Khushi Khatun, a relative of the deceased persons said, “Ten people have died and six are in hospital … I could barely save myself by fleeing to my aunt’s house … already the menfolk had fled the village fearing retaliation after the death of the Upa Pradhan … all this while the police just sat as silent spectators.”
On being asked why the neighbours would not come to their rescue, a local requesting anonymity said, “Who would want to come out in the midst of bombing.
Even the fire brigade officials were not being allowed to enter the village.”
Bhadu Sheikh was bombed to death on Monday afternoon while he was sitting inside a tea stall triggering the counter-attack in a matter of a few hours.
This was the third incident of people’s representative being eliminated in the last one week. Last week a Congress and a Trinamool Congress councilor were shot dead at Jhalda in Purulia district and Panihati in the northern fringes of Kolkata.
Contradictory reports on the number of deaths and the reason behind Monday’s fire emanated from various quarters with State police chief Manoj Malavya reporting eight deaths whereas a fire brigade official confirmed 10 deaths. Locals said 16 people had perished.
“Today morning the bodies of seven people have been removed from the same house. Earlier ten people were said to have died. The casualty figures given earlier were not correct. A total of eight people have died,” Malviya said, adding the SDPO and the Inspector in-charge hadbeen removed.
Fire officials however said, “Three charred bodies were taken out initially and then seven were recovered by us,” adding that initially the fire officials were stopped by the assailants from rescuing the victims.
Regarding the cause of the arson Trinamool Congress district president Anubrata Mondal said, “I have reports that it was a short circuit that caused the fire,” while the police conceded the bombing incident.
Meanwhile, back in Kolkata while senior Bengal Minister Partho Chatterjee called the entire incident a “deep-rooted conspiracy to malign the Mamata Banerjee Government,” Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendi Adhikari marched to the Raj Bhavan leading the other BJP MLAs demanding imposition of central rule.
“We will tell the Governor that the chapter of discussion and Twitter war is over … now it is the time of action … we will ask him to report to the Centre the real scenario in Bengal where 26 people including three people’s representatives have died in political violence the past one week … we will demand the Centre to act …whether they would consider Article 355 or 356 is for them to decide, he said