Mamata remembers Netai firing, pays homage in tweet

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted on Sunday, paying homage to innocent villagers who were killed in Netai in 2011.

Banerjee tweeted: "On this day in 2011, innocent villagers in Netai were killed by indiscriminate firing. My homage to the lives lost on that day."

Nine people were killed and as many as 28 people were injured during indiscriminate firing from the house of a CPI(M) leader at Netai on January 7 in 2011.

It may be recalled that the incident had led to massive state-wide protest against the atrocities that were being carried out allegedly by CPI(M) on villagers. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken up the investigation and some were also being arrested in this connection.

It was in May 2014, that CPI(M) leader Anuj Pandey was arrested from Jharkhand. There were around 20 accused in the case and almost all were arrested.

Other CPI(M) leaders including Anuj's cousin, Dalim Seikh, Joydeb Giri, Tapan De and Md Khaliluddin were arrested from Hyderabad. Rathin Dandapat, from whose house the firing took place, was also arrested from Hyderabad. CBI has already filed charge sheet against 20 people in this connection.

It may be recalled that after three years of the incident, the former Chief Minister of the state Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had also admitted that the Netai incident was a "grave mistake" committed by the workers of his party.

After the change of guard in the state, overall development has been ensured in the region and now the people of the area live in a peaceful environment.