The violence that started with the announcement of the panchayat elections purportedly led to the deaths of two more persons — one worker each from the BJP and the CPM in Malda and Murshidabad districts, respectively — on Sunday.
Leaders of both the parties blamed the Trinamul Congress for the deaths. The ruling party has denied the charges.
In Malda, BJP worker Burhan Murmu, 63, was found hanging at his house in the Baherpur-Kannadighi area under the jurisdiction of Bamangola police station.
BJP supporters alleged that Burhan’s son Biplab, a Trinamul activist, had killed his father and hanged the body to make it look like a suicide.
Malda North BJP MP Khagen Murmu said Burhan’s daughter-in-law had contested as a Trinamul candidate from one of the seats of Madnabati panchayat.
“The senior BJP worker, however, prioritised the party over his family and campaigned for the BJP candidate against his daughter-in-law. Our candidate could win the seat by 60 votes. As his daughter-in-law lost in the seat, Biplab, his son, had been threatening him with dire consequences for the past few days. We suspect he has killed Burhan and hanged him,” said Murmu.
The MP alleged that some local BJP leaders had informed the police at Nalagola police outpost that Burhan had been threatened. “But the police didn’t pay heed to the complaint and we lost another worker in the hands of Trinamul,” the MP added.
Biplab, local people said, has fled the village.
Police officers who visited the spot and seized the body said Burhan had an altercation with his son on Saturday evening.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the deceased had given the right to cultivate his agricultural land to one of his nephews and not to his son. This led to the altercation. We are waiting for post-mortem report to know the cause of the death,” said an officer.
In Murshidabad district, CPM supporter Rintu Sheikh, 42, had been injured on July 8 when supporters of his party and Trinamul had clashed at Hariharpara.
Both the sides attacked each other with iron rods and sticks and Sheikh, a resident of Niyamatpur village which is under the jurisdiction of Hariharpara police station, suffered serious injuries. He was admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. The following day, as his condition deteriorated, Sheikh was sent to NRS Medical College and Hospital.
He had been under treatment there since then and breathed his last on sunday afternoon.
Jamir Mollah, the Murshidabad district CPM secretary, said some Trinamul supporters had tried to capture a booth to rig the polling. “As our supporters resisted, they were attacked. Rintu was severely assaulted and we lost him today,” he said.
Niyamat Sheikh, the local Trinamul MLA, however, brushed aside the charges. “On that day, CPM supporters had attacked my car with bombs and other weapons. I somehow escaped. We didn’t attack anybody there.”
Firearm seized
Police in Malda arrested an 18-year-old youth with an improvised pipe gun on Sunday. The youth had gone to Baishnabnagar to deliver the illegal firearm when the police apprehended him.
