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2 arrested for murder of Trinamool panchayat member in West Bengal: Police
In retaliation to Saifuddin Lashkar’s murder, TMC workers allegedly ransacked 15 houses in a village, 5 km from where the party leader was killed
KOLKATA: Two persons were arrested on Thursday in connection with the murder of a Trinamool Congress panchayat member earlier this week, police said.
“We have arrested two persons – Anisur Lashkar and Kamaluddin Dhali. We have enough evidence against them to establish their involvement in the murder. We are not divulging their roles or the motive behind the murder as the investigation is still going on,” said Palash Chadra Dhali, Baruipur superintendent of police.
Saifuddin Lashkar, a TMC leader was shot dead by a group of five bike-borne assailants at Joynagar in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, 50 km south of Kolkata, on Monday.
Villagers lynched one of them and thrashed another before handing him over to the police. Their three accomplices managed to escape.
TMC workers retaliated to the murder and allegedly ransacked 15 houses in an adjacent village, 5 km from where the TMC leader Saifuddin Lashka was murdered, and set them on fire. Villagers claimed that the houses belonged mostly to supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM).
“We have registered three separate FIRs related to the murder, lynching and retaliatory attack in the village. Till now three persons have been arrested for their involvement in the murder, including the two who were arrested on Thursday. We are yet to arrest anyone in the lynching and the case related to the attack in the village. Raids are going on,” said Dhali.
Villagers of Bamungachi, where the TMC leader was murdered, earlier told reporters that one of the motorcycles used by the assailants belonged to Anisur, who according to villagers, was a local CPM leader. He has been missing after the murder.
“He was there with me the whole night. In the morning, he fled after receiving information that police were looking for him and TMC workers were coming... He is innocent and is being falsely implicated,” Manjira Lashkar, Anisur’s wife told reporters.
The CPM, however, insisted that Anisur was not a party member or a leader and may be a party supporter.
“I have not heard about any party leader or a party member named Anisur from that area. He may be a supporter. That’s why TMC had a grudge against him and that’s why TMC workers set the houses on fire in Daluakhaki village. This incident sheds light on the nexus between the police, criminals and TMC. Police are acting on the TMC script,” said CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty.
TMC legislator from South 24 Parganas Saokat Mollah rejected the charge. “The Opposition understands very well that they won’t be able to fight us politically. They have lost their ground in South 24 Parganas and hence they are resorting to violence. But this won’t bring them any result,” Saokat Mollah said.
