West Bengal: TMC leader shot dead, alleged assailant lynched
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was shot dead in Joynagar, West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, on Monday morning. After hearing the sound of the gunfire, villagers chased down the assailants and managed to catch two of them, one of whom was beaten to death, the police said, as per Hindustan Times. In retaliation, alleged TMC supporters looted and torched 15-20 houses of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) supporters in police presence, The Telegraph reported.
Police contingent deployed in area
The police later arrested another accused and are now probing whether it was a case of personal or political rivalry. A large contingent of the police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed in the area to contain flare-ups. The deceased individual, Saifuddin Laskar, was a panchayat member, while his wife was the panchayat head. Five motorcycle-borne assailants reportedly shot Laskar in the back while he was on his way to the mosque at around 5:00am.
TMC-CPIM trade charges
The police rescued the second suspect, Saharul Sheikh, who was nabbed and thrashed and took him into custody. The lynching occurred nearly 500 meters from the site where Laskar was shot. A purported video showed Sheikh confessing he was with the group that carried out the killing but didn't disclose on whose directions it was carried out. TMC supporters accused CPIM of orchestrating the murder, while CPIM leaders called it a result of the TMC's internal strife over corruption money.
Incident evokes memories of Bogtui massacre
CPIM leader Sujan Chakraborty said the TMC had captured all 23 panchayat seats in the area and were attacking the remaining CPIM supporters with police protection under the incident's pretext. In June, unidentified miscreants shot dead TMC worker Ziarul Molla while he was returning home in South 24 Paraganas district. In March 2022, local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh was murdered in Birbhum's Bogtui, following which rioters set several houses on fire, killing 10 people, including women and children.
