Two killed in crude bomb blast in Bengal’s Birbhum district

Two people were killed and one person was injured when crude bombs stockpiled at their house exploded on Thursday night in a village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

Two people, including a Trinamool Congress panchayat samiti member, were killed and one person was injured when crude bombs stockpiled at their house exploded on Thursday night in a village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, police said on Friday.

Police said Hafijul Sk and Liton Sk allies Tariq Hossen were killed in the explosion at Ahamedpur under Khoirasole police station. The blast shattered the roof and brought down a portion of the house.

However, villagers claimed there were at least eight people in the house and some of them were killed too but their bodies were removed before the police arrived.

Birbhum superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar said primary investigation does not indicate the involvement of any terrorist group in the incident.

According to police records, Hafijul was one of the prime accused in the murder of a Trinamool worker and was held at Dubrajpur in the same district few years ago. The murder was the fallout of power struggle between two local factions of the party.

Local villagers claimed Hafijul was a Trinamool Congress supporter and was absconding since May 2012 in connection with the murder of Buro Sk, another supporter of the ruling party. Hafijul returned to the village only a few days back but police did not felt it necessary to arrest the absconding leader, they said.

“Powerful bombs, guns and ammunition were stocked in Hafijul’s house. Last night, we saw some people, mostly outsiders, making crude bombs. Suddenly, we heard an explosion,” said a villager.

Over the past few years, Birbhum has witnessed violence in which crude bombs have been used regularly. A couple of years ago about 800 crude bombs were found stockpiled in a primary health centre in the district.

“There is no such thing as law and order in West Bengal. Police are afraid to take steps and leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress are leaving no stone unturned to make Bengal a safe haven for criminals. Mamata Banerjee is promoting terrorist training camps and bomb making units in Bengal,” Siddharth Nath Singh, BJP national secretary, said.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh had also severely criticised the law and order situation in West Bengal while addressing a public meeting in the North 24 Parganas on Thursday.

“Not even the police are safe here,” Singh had said.