Eight charred bodies found in Bengal�s Birbhum hours after TMC deputy gram pradhan�s death

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, Mar 22, 2022: At least eight charred bodies were found at Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district Tuesday following several incidents of fire and bombing, hours after a deputy gram pradhan of the Trinamool Congress was killed in a bomb attack, a senior police official said.

 

Officials also said 11 people have been arrested from the area so far and the inspector-in-charge and sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Rampurhat have been suspended. A huge police contingent has also been deployed in the area.

 

Horrifying violence and arson orgy #Rampurhat #Birbhum indicates state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness. Already eight lives lost.

Have sought urgent update on the incident from Chief Secretary.

My thoughts are with the families of the bereaved. pic.twitter.com/vtI6tRJcBX

— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) March 22, 2022

“Three injured people were rescued last night after seven to eight houses were gutted in the fire. One of them died today. Also, when the fire was brought to control, a team of police officials found seven charred bodies. All the seven bodies were recovered from one house. Total, eight have died in the incident,” said DGP Manoj Malvia at the West Bengal Police headquarters in Bhavani Bhawan.

“Whether the fire was caused in retaliation of the local deputy gram pradhan’s death or it was due to some other reason is being probed. Eleven people have so far been arrested in the cases. An FIR under murder section was already filed and another one related to fire will be filed soon,” added Malvia.

The superintendent of police Nagendranath Tripathi said earlier they had recovered seven charred bodies.

The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the additional director general of police (CID), Gyanwant Singh, to probe the incident.

“Every death is unfortunate. Whether it is a separate incident or connected to the death of the leader who was killed hours before can’t be ascertained right now. Let me first visit the spot,” said state minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim.

Sources said Bhadu Sheikh, 38, the deputy pradhan (TMC) of Barishal Gram Panchayat under Rampurhat block 1, was standing near the Bogtui crossing late in the evening when four assailants came on two motorcycles and lobbed crude bombs at him. Sheikh received a grievous injury and was taken to Rampurhat government hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Several bombs were hurled and houses were set on fire after the incident at Bogtui, said sources. They also claimed three bodies were recovered on Monday night and seven on Tuesday.

TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal said the police will nab the killers of Sheikh. “Footage of security cameras installed around the crime scene is being examined,” said Mondal.

TMC’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed that the incident is not connected to politics. “The deaths due to the fire incident in Rampurhat is unfortunate. But it has got nothing to do with politics. It is a local conflict. Yesterday, TMC’s deputy gram pradhan was killed. He was popular. People were angry. The fire incident took place a few hours after the incident at night. The police and fire officials are taking action,” said Ghosh.Meanwhile, BJP legislators staged a walkout from the House and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the state Home Minister. CPI(M( state secretary Md Salim said, “Again they will form an SIT under the same man Gyanwant Singh. Again a minister will visit the spot but who will take the responsibility of the deaths?”

Courtesy:Indian Express