Tension ran high at Bhangar on Sunday morning after a senior Trinamool Congress district leader and a Panchayat karmadhakshya was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants in broad daylight.
The incident occurred when the victim, Asitur Rahaman alias Babusona, was returning home after attending a meeting at the residence of controversial Trinamool Congress district leader Arabul Islam. When Asitur reached Natunhat area of Bhangar in South 24-Parganas, some unidentified miscreants stopped his way. One of the miscreants took out a gun and shot him on his head from a point-blank range. After receiving the bullet injury, the victim fell on the ground. The miscreants fled the spot immediately after the incident. The locals came to his rescue and rushed him to Jiongacha primary health centre where the doctors pronounced him brought dead. However, some of the district Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that the Maoists might have been involved in the incident.
Some of the locals also said that the mishap might have taken place during a clash that broke out between the local Trinamool Congress activists and members of the 'Jami, Jibika, Bastutantra O Paribesh Raksha Committee' when both the groups fired and hurled bombs at each other. It may be mentioned here that CPI-ML (Red Star) senior leaders had spearheaded the Bhangar protest movement under the banner of 'Jami, Jibika, Bastutantra O Paribesh Raksha Committee' opposing the construction of a power grid in the area. The members of the forum continued their agitation at Bhangar protesting the proposal of setting up of a power grid. The police are yet to ascertain how the incident happened. They have started a detailed probe in this connection. The district police officers reached the spot and collected circumstantial evidences.
'Jami, Jibika, Bastutantra O Paribesh Raksha Committee' in a press statement claimed that none of their members were involved in the incident and it was a result of the infighting between two factions within the Trinamool Congress.
The members of the committee also alleged that some senior district TMC leaders were engaging criminals to disrupt their movement for past few days. They also started gathering at Natunhat area on Sunday morning. District TMC leaders, however, denied the charge and accused the committee for the death of the victim.