Malda police arrested one person on Wednesday and continued its probe to find out those involved in the attack on Trinamool leaders and the murder of one on Tuesday at a time when families of the deceased and injured voiced fears of fresh attacks.
On Tuesday, a local TMC leader, Bakul Sheikh and his brother Esharuddin were allegedly attacked by supporters of Zakir Sheikh, also a TMC leader but of a rival faction. Party worker Hasu Haque, said to be close to Bakul, was killed in the clash.
On Wednesday, the police took a sniffer dog to the murder spot. Cops moved into certain locations of Jadupur, the locality under Kaliachak police station of the district where the incident took place, for the probe.
“We have arrested Amir Hamja, a resident of Uttar Dariyapur (in the same area) in connection with the incident. He has been taken into police custody and we need more information from him. Our officers are conducting raids to nab others involved in the crime,” said Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the superintendent of police of Malda.
The clash erupted when Bakul, the panchayat-level president of TMC in Jadupur, and his brother Esharuddin went to attend the inauguration of some rural roads and drains.
A group of people who were allegedly Zakir's henchmen attacked them, baring the deep factional feud in Malda Trinamool.
Gunshots were fired and Hasu, who was hit by a bullet, collapsed on the spot. But the attackers then hit him with bricks and he instantly.
Bakul, on the other hand, had a close shave as a bullet grazed his skull. His brother was beaten with bamboo sticks. Both of them are under treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital.
The incident happened barely 12 days after the murder of TMC councillor Dulal Sarkar, allegedly also the result of a feud within the party.
On January 2, Sarkar was gunned down by criminals in Malda town. A few days later, Narendranath Tiwari, a party leader was arrested for allegedly plotting the murder and hiring gunmen for the job.
Though police officers claimed that Hamja, the arrested youth, was connected with Tuesday's incident, the family members of the deceased Hasu and the injured Bakul and Esharuddin are angry with the role of the police.
Md Ajmal, a district vice-president of Trinamool’s minority cell and one of Bakul's brothers, said: “Zakir Sheikh, along with his companions, masterminded the attack on my brothers and they were attacked in broad daylight. Twenty-four hours have passed. Yet, none of them have been arrested.”
He said that they would send letters to chief minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in this regard.
“We are concerned over the attack and would request necessary intervention from their end. We suspect a conspiracy to create unrest in Jadupur and surrounding areas,” Ajmal added.
Farhana Khatun, one of Bakul's sisters-in-law, said they wanted Zakir and others to be arrested.
“We are all scared after the attack and apprehend that they might even attack us. The police should nab them and refrain from harassing common villagers on the pretext of investigation,” Farhana, a former chief of the Naoda-Jadupur panchayat, said.
Safera Bibi, the wife of the deceased Hasu, sounded worried.
“My husband was killed in a gruesome manner. We fear we could be attacked too. The police should ensure our safety,” she said.
Police sources said both Bakul and Zakir had old criminal records. Also, Hamja, who has been arrested, also did not have a clean record, sources said.
Many Malda TMC leaders admitted off the record that the recurring incidents of murder due to infighting led to a loss of face for the party in the district.
Asish Kundu, the district spokesperson of the party, however, tried to prove that Zakir was not associated with Trinamool.
“During political programmes, many people get on the dais," he said, referring to Zakir's photographs with Trinamool leaders. "That does not mean that one has to be a Trinamool worker,” said Kundu.
A senior TMC functionary, however, contradicted Kundu. “Instead of trying to conceal the truth, those who induct people into the TMC should check their antecedents before enrolling them to avoid such incidents,” said the leader.