Eight Killed in Violence in West Bengal, Governor Calls it “Decimation of Human Rights

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, March 22: At least eight charred bodies were found at Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Tuesday after night-long incidents of fire and bombing reportedly caused by the alleged murder of a deputy gram Pradhan, a ruling Trinamool Congress leader.

The Director-General of Police (DGP) West Bengal, Manoj Malviya informed that 11 arrests have been made in the case 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.

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.

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

Following the Bogtui incident, several bombs were hurled and houses were set on fire said sources. They also claimed the death toll to be at least 11 as three bodies were reportedly recovered on Monday night and seven on Tuesday morning while one injured died in the hospital.

Official sources, however, said those “rescued” on Monday night were only injured. “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 Malviya at the West Bengal Police headquarters in Bhavani Bhawan.

The BJP – TMC politics was back in full swing with the state BJP leaders condemning the incident and even demanded resignation of the chief minister Mamata Banerjee for alleged failure to maintain the law and order in the state. The former BJP leader and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who loved to play politics even at the cost of the dignity of the constitutional office, was in his normal-self pouring out venom against Banerjee and the TMC government.

Strongly condemning the violence, Dhankhar said human rights have been “decimated” and rule of law has “capsized.” Offering condolence to the families of those who lost their lives, the Governor said the state is in a “grip of violence culture and lawlessness.” In a video message posted on his official Twitter account, he called the incident a “horrifying violence and arson orgy” and said he was pained and disturbed at the “horrifying incident” has sought an urgent update on the incident from the state’s Chief Secretary.

“This is indicative of nose-diving of law and order in the state,” he said and added that the state can’t be allowed to become synonymous with a culture of violence and lawlessness. In an apparent swipe at ruling Trinamool Congress, he said the administration was “required to rise above partisan interests” which he claimed was “not being reflected in reality.”

“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 Malviya.

“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.

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 was 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.

The incident had its reflection in the state Assembly where the BJP members staged a walkout from the House and demanded Banerjee’s resignation as she also hold the home portfolio. The 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?”

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, in a series of tweets, urged central intervention and alleged “terror and tension” in the area. BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh wanted to raise the issue in Zero Hour but was not allowed by Speaker Biman Banerjee. Shouting ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Dhikkar Dhikkar'(condemn), Ghosh and 40 members of the saffron party walked out of the House. He later told reporters in the assembly compound that political killings are taking place in the state after the announcement of the assembly poll results last year.

Ghosh said the party wanted the Chief Minister to resign for her “failure to control the worsening law and order situation” in the state. A two-member Trinamool Congress delegation led by Minister Firhad Hakim has left for Rampurhat, TMC sources said.

“Law and order in a rapid freefall in West Bengal. Tension and terror have gripped the Rampurhat area of Birbhum district, after a panchayat upoprodhan (deputy chief), Bhadu Sheik was reportedly killed last evening in a bomb attack,” Suvendu Adhikari, Bengal’s Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Nandigram, has tweeted. “The nightlong barbarity has lead to the death of at least 12 people till now; mostly women. Charred bodies are being recovered as of now. Administrative cover-up has already begun with attempts being made to lower the body count. IMMEDIATE CENTRAL INTERVENTION REQUIRED,” Adhikari, a former Trinamool leader, added.