West Bengal: 3 killed in violence since Monday night; Trinamool, BJP blame each other

Three people were killed in two separate incidents of violence in West Bengal since late Monday night, the police said on Tuesday, as both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP blamed each other for the killings. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that in all 10 people were killed in the state in violence following the Lok Sabha elections, and of them eight belonged to her Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the rest are BJP supporters. She, however, did not give details of the 10 deaths.

Two people were killed and three severely injured when bombs were hurled at them in North 24 Parganas district's Kankinara, while one person died after allegedly being beaten up by unknown miscreants in East Burdwan district, police said, adding incidents took place late on Monday night.

There was no official confirmation about political affiliation of the victims. Clashes between workers of the two parties have been continuing in the state since the ending of the bitterly fought Lok Sabha polls, in which the ruling TMC and a resurgent BJP had a neck-and-neck fight.

The two deceased in Kankinara's Baruipara area, which falls under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, were identified as Mohammed Mukhtar and Mohammed Halim. Three people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the incident, police said.

According to police officials, the family members of Mukhtar were sitting outside their house late on Monday night when bombs were allegedly hurled at them.

"Halim died on the spot while Mukhtar succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. A critically injured Mukhtar's wife is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital along with two others," a senior police officer said.

West Bengal minister and the TMC's district president Jyotipriya Mallick alleged that the victims were targeted by miscreants hired by the BJP because they had voted for the ruling party in the state in the Lok Sabha elections.

Refuting the allegation, BJP MP of Barrackpore Arjun Singh claimed the incident was the result of a family feud and has no connection with politics.

Following the incident, a large number of policemen, along with RAF personnel, have been deployed in the area. When contacted, state ADG (Law and Order) Gyanwant Singh said he is collecting a detailed information about the incident.

In East Burdwan district's Shantinandi, general secretary of a village committee Jaideb Roy was beaten up by a group of miscreants Monday night. On hearing Roy's cries for help, three people guarding fish in a nearby pond, rushed to the spot but they too were thrashed by the miscreants, police said.

All the four were admitted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital  where Roy died in the early hours of Tuesday. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident, SP of East Burdwan Bhaskar Mukherjee said, adding the injured have been identified as Anil Mullick, Balaram Mullick and Mohan Poile.

West Bengal minister Swapan Debnath, who is also TMC chief of East Burdwan district, alleged that his party's supporters were beaten up by the BJP.

"We will take Roy's body to his village after post-mortem," Debnath said. BJP Yuva Morcha chief of the district Shyamal Roy, however, denied the saffron party's involvement in the incident, and claimed that it was a result of infighting within the TMC.

Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said altogether 10 people were killed in post-poll violence in the state and eight of them belonged to her party -- the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The other two are BJP supporters, she said.

"Every death is unfortunate. I will ask the chief secretary to provide assistance from the disaster management fund to the families of the 10 deceased," she said, adding all the deaths will be investigated.

Meanwhile, the BJP alleged that a party supporter was hacked to death by TMC workers for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' in Howrah district's Sarpota village on Monday night.

Though police confirmed the death of 43-year-old Samatul Doloi, whose body was found in a field at Sarpota village under Amta Police Station limits, officers were tight-lipped about the cause of the death.

BJP's Howrah rural president Anupam Mullick claimed that Doloi was a party supporter and was killed by Trinamool Congress workers for chanting "Jai Shri Ram". Denying the charge, Trinamool Congress MLA Samir Panja said the truth will come out in an impartial probe.

Mamata Banerjee had lost her cool twice last month over people chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' at her motorcade.

On Saturday, at least three men were killed in North 24 Parganas district in clashes between workers of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. 

(With PTI inputs)