KOLKATA: Three Trinamool Congress workers (TMC), including a member of a local gram panchayat, were killed by unidentified miscreants in Canning in South 24-Parganas on Thursday morning.
According to sources, the incident took place when Swapan Majhi, TMC member of Gopalpur gram panchayat, was on his way to attend the preparatory meeting for Trinamool's July 21 Sahid Divas programme at the party office in Gopalpur under Canning West Assembly constituency.
Majhi was accompanied by two of party's booth presidents, Bhutnath Pramanik and Jhantu Haldar. As they were heading towards Pier Park in the Kachua area on a motorcycle, the miscreants blocked the road and shot Majhi from point-blank range. "The miscreants first shot Majhi. Then, they shot the other two, who had started running. To confirm death, the miscreants further stabbed them with a sharp weapon," sources added.
A team of district police and CID examined the crime spot. Police also launched an investigation into the killings. However, the motive behind the murders is yet to be ascertained. The bodies have been sent for autopsy examination.
Later, TMC leaders alleged that the BJP was behind the murders. The party accused BJP of creating an environment of fear. "The BJP is trying to disturb peace in Bengal," said party's spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. According to reports, TMC leaders alleged that the deceased had met the local MLA and had told him that they were under threat. However, the BJP had declined such allegations.