The Birbhum Police arrested three persons in connection with the murder case of Barshal gram panchayat deputy head Bhadu Sheikh from various places, today.

Ten persons were named in the FIR, lodged at Rampurhat Police Station after the murder of Badu Sheikh. One person was arrested earlier. Rampurhat Police arrested Shera Sheikh, Sanju Sheikh and Raja Sheikh from Malda, Jhargram and Rampurhat areas. All of them were named in the FIR.

On 21 March at 8.30 pm, when Bhadu Sheikh was standing alone near a tea stall, bombs were hurled at him. In order to ensure his death, miscreants fired at him from close range and fled away riding in motorcycles. In the next two hours, reportedly, the sympathisers of Bhadu Sheikh wreaked havoc and torched at least eight to ten houses belonging to his rivals, killing nine people, including seven women, a child and one man.

The arrested have been produced before Rampurhat sub-divisional court today and send to police custody. Meanwhile, the families of eyewitnesses Mihilal Sheikh, Asadul Sheikh, Kiran Sheikh, Banirulk Sheikh have been escorted back to Bagtui village by Rampurhat Police today. Families of the victims had fled in fear after their houses were torched to Batashpur village in Sainthia.

Armed police personnel have been deployed by the Rampurhat Police for their round-the-clock protection in the village. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has directed DGP Manoj Malviya to ensure that the families, who have fled fearing retaliation should be escorted back to the village by the police. Meanwhile, CBI has grilled an assistant sub-inspector of Rampurhat Police Station today.

The attending nurses and the doctors have also been questioned by CBI at Rampurhat Hospital. CBI has also directed the fire brigade officials, who were present on that day to record their statements. So far, the CBI has not made any arrests in the Bagtui massacre case and is yet to make a breakthrough.

The dying declaration of deceased Najema Biwi (40) at Rampurhat Police Station was recorded by CBI and is the most important evidence so far collected in this case, sources claimed. The statement of Mihilal Shiekh, an eyewitness, has also been recorded twice by CBI. Thirty-five live crude bombs were seized from Jora bus stand area in Khoirasole of Birbhum today.

With these seizures, the total number of bombs seized from five police station areas of Birbhum has gone up to 415 in the past few days. Opposition parties, both the BJP and CPM claimed that these seizures are just the tip of the iceberg and Birbhum district is virtually sitting on a powder keg.