As many as eight people have been burnt to death in the Rampurhat area of Bengal’s Birbhum on Tuesday after a mob allegedly set houses on fire following the killing of Trinamul Congress leader Bahadur Shaikh.

The Union home ministry has sought a report from the state government into the incident within 72 hours. After receiving the report, it would send a team to the spot. The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team led by ADG CID Gyanwant Singh and includes Meeraj Khalid and Sanjay Singh. Director-General of Police (DGP) West Bengal, Manoj Malviya informed that 11 arrests have been made in the case so far.

Advertisement

Addressing the media, Malviya clarified that the death figure of ten reported earlier was incorrect, and said, “Today morning the bodies of seven people have been removed from the same house. Earlier ten people were said to have died. The death figures given earlier were not correct. A total of eight people have died.” He further informed that Bahadur Shaikh’s murder was reported last night, an hour after which 7-8 houses nearby had caught fire. “There is tension in the area. Seven bodies were recovered from the house of one Sanju Seikh, while one person succumbed to injuries later,” he said.

The state government has suspended the IC of Rampurhat Police Station,Tridip Pramanik and shunted SDPO of Rampurhat, Sayan Ahmed after the incident. A three-member TMC delegation ~ comprising Firhad Hakim, Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee, and MLA of neighbouring Labpur constituency Abhijit Sinha ~rushed to Bagtuli in a helicopter from Kolkata and met the victims families and assured them of all kinds of assistance including a job.

“I have come here on the instructions of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the miscreants will be arrested without seeing any political colours. Some people are conspiring to tarnish the image of West Bengal. Hopefully, the SIT will expose the crime,” Hakim said.

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar has requested home minister Amit Shah’s intervention and sought the resignation of chief minister. TMC refuted reports of fallout rivalry between party factions. TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh tweeted saying that the incident has nothing to do with politics.

“Deaths of the locals in fire incident is sad. But this incident has no political connection. This is a local village dispute. The panchayat deputy chief who was murdered was a well-known person and his death has angered the villagers, leading to the violent protest. The fire incident took place at night but cops and fire brigade took immediate action,” Kunal Ghosh said in a tweet.

The incident rocked the Assembly with BJP MLAs raising it today and staged a walkout over the same. BJP MLAs termed the incident “middle-age barbarism” while demanding a statement from CM Mamata Banerjee on Floor over the cause of the violence and the steps being taken over it. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari hit out at the TMC, saying that law and order is in “rapid freefall” in the state.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also took to Twitter and condemned the incident and said that the incident indicates that the state is in “grip of violence culture and lawlessness”.“Horrifying violence and arson orgy #Rampurhat #Birbhum indicates state is in grip of violence culture and lawlessness. Already eight lives lost. Have sought urgent update on the incident from Chief Secretary. My thoughts are with the families of the bereaved,” Dhankhar said.