Centre seeks report on alleged political violence in Bengal’s Birbhum
The Centre has sought a report on the alleged political violence in Bengal’s Birbhum in which eight people died. The BJP is also sending a fact-finding team to probe the biggest instance of violence since Mamata Banerjee’s mega victory last year.
A mob allegedly threw bombs in Bogtui village on the outskirts of Rampurhat town close to dawn on Tuesday, in which 10 houses were burnt. It is suspected to be a retaliation to the murder of a Trinamool Congress panchayat leader, Bhadu Sheikh, whose body was found on Monday.
The charred bodies of seven people, two of them children, were recovered from a house this morning. An eighth person died on way to the hospital. Eleven people have been arrested over the violence, the state police said.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the matter. Bengal’s top cop Manoj Malaviya said, “We are investigating how the houses caught fire and whether the incident is related to the death of the panchayat deputy chief of neighbouring Barshal village”.
A two-member Trinamool Congress delegation led by state minister Firhad Hakim is on way to Rampurhat to look into the issue. Two officers of the local police — The Sub-Divisional Police Officer and Circle Inspector of Rampurhat — have been removed.