Houses of 25 CPI(M) Supporters Gutted in Violence Over TMC Member’s Murder
Representational Image. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Kolkata: A panchayat member and alleged history-sheeter from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) identified as Saifuddin Laskar was murdered by five bike-borne men in Bamangachi village, in Joynagar of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, on Monday morning.
According to sources, Laskar extorted money from illegal businesses in the area. One of the alleged assailants, Sahabuddin Laskar, was immediately caught by the locals and lynched. Another assailant was also thrashed and handed over to the police. The families of both the assailants are also TMC.
In retaliation, TMC members landed in Daluakhaki village, around five km from the murder spot, and attacked the houses of CPI(M)-supporting villagers. They broke open the houses, doused them with kerosene and put them on fire before the eyes of the police. Women were molested and children thrown into ponds.
According to sources, Saifuddin, who rose to power from being a law clerk to a panchayat member, was famous in Joynagar’s antisocial circles. He was also the pointsman for police informers and had an office located opposite the police station. Besides, his wife was the village pradhan.
Saifuddin’s name struck terror in the village. A Daluakhaki resident requesting anonymity told the media he had unimaginable clout in the police station and lodged false cases against residents several of whom were jailed.
During the TMC rule, Saifuddin amassed enough wealth to build a huge house and owned three bikes and three cars in seven to eight years.
As per sources, Saifuddin was not on good terms Joynagar’s TMC MLA Saukat Mollah.
The police, who have failed to apprehend the other three attackers so far, arrested Daluakhaki resident Anisur Rehman as the mastermind of the murder.
“Even before the investigation started, the TMC tried to hide its inner fighting and pointed finger towards the CPI(M). Now, the police are trying to toe the line of TMC leaders,” CPI(M)’s South 24 Parganas district secretary Shamik Lahiri told NewsClick.
Lahiri demanded an “impartial investigation” with the culprits brought to book. “The hooligans who torched the houses are roaming free; not one has been apprehended by the police. Villagers whose houses were set ablaze should be properly compensated.”
The CPI(M)’s state leadership, including Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty, and others were stopped by the police when they went to visit Daluakhaki.
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