One person was killed and another severely injured in an explosion while setting up a bomb. The incident took place in Suripukur area of Shalipur village panchayat in Haroa, North 24 Parganas. According to local sources, the deceased’s name is Paritosh Mandal, who was a local leader of the Trinamool Congress.
His mutilated body was recovered from a pond in the area on Monday morning. Local people reported that Shalipur was shaken by the loud explosion early in the morning. With this incident, the death toll has reached 14 people in West Bengal in the last 24 days.
Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot, recovered the body, and sent it for the post-mortem examination. According to police sources, the incident is currently under investigation. The family claims that Paritosh was murdered.
According to local sources, Paritosh was a resident of Kuchemora in the Sonapukur-Shankarpur area of Haroa police station. Local residents claim that he died in the explosion while assembling the bomb.
On Sunday night, there was a sudden explosion while packing the bomb, resulting in Paritosh’s hands being blown away. He died due to bomb splinters, and several splinters were found in different parts of his body. Neighbors claimed that four more people were injured in the blast.
No complaints have been lodged with the police regarding the deceased and injured persons in the bomb blast incident. Initial speculation suggests that the bomb was allegedly being made in preparation for the upcoming panchayat polls to spread unrest.
However, the deceased’s wife claims that her husband was a Trinamool worker, and opposition parties had been attempting to kill him for a long time. “My husband did not pack bombs; he used to play music. Who dies in a bomb blast? The back of his head was hit and cracked,” she said.
On Sunday night, a Trinamool MLA was accused of firing at a Congress candidate in Murshidabad. The ruling party denied the allegations. The Congress worker was shot in Tinpakuria, Samsherganj, and has been admitted to the hospital.
However, the ruling party denied the attack, and the MLA accused the Congress candidate of retaliating with fire. Around 8:30 pm on Sunday night, Anarul Haque, the Congress candidate for Zilla Parishad seat No. 4 in Murshidabad, was returning home after campaigning when Trinamool MLA Amirul Islam entered the area by car from the opposite direction.
Allegedly, the MLA fired at the Congress candidate without any provocation, narrowly missing the target. A Congress worker was shot and was subsequently rescued, first taken to a private nursing home in Dhulian, and later shifted to Jangipur Subdivision Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
According to hospital sources, the Congress worker’s condition is critical. Last night, Congress workers and supporters surrounded the Samsherganj police station demanding the MLA’s arrest. A large police force was present at the scene.