TMC leader in Bengal’s Murshidabad escapes bomb attack; driver killed

Shah Alam Sarkar is TMC community bloc unit president at Raninagar in Bengal’s Murshidabad district and the attack took place at Godhonpara when Sarkar was returning home

A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader escaped unhurt while his driver died when the car they were in was attacked by bombs late on Sunday, said the police. Two others were injured in the attack.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Shah Alam Sarkar is TMC community bloc unit president at Raninagar in Bengal’s Murshidabad district and the attack took place at Godhonpara when Sarkar was returning home.

“The car was approaching the Godhonpara road intersection when some unidentified criminals blocked its path and started hurling bombs at it. The injured were rushed to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition. The driver, Abdur Sattar, 40, died while he was being taken to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on Sunday night,” a district police officer said on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to brief the media.

The TMC leader’s aide, Sohel Rana, and his security guard, Jainal Abedin, sustained splinter injuries. Sarkar escaped unhurt, the officer said.

TMC legislator from Raninagar, Soumik Hossain, said, “Shah Alam Sarkar was my election agent in the recent assembly polls. He helped me win by a margin of 81,000 votes. The Congress, Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted him dead. I suspect that some Opposition leader planned the attack.”

The BJP’s Murshidabad (south) organisational district unit president Gouri Shankar Ghosh dismissed the allegation and said no one from his party was involved in the attack. Local Congress and Left leaders also denied the charge as well.

Officers at Raninagar police station said charges have been registered against 12 people and two suspects have been arrested.