4 FB men killed in police firing at Dinhata, FB calls bandh tomorrow

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 5: An incident of large-scale violence claimed lives of four Forward Bloc supporters at Dinhata today. Condemning the police firing the Forward Bloc called a 24-hour bandh tomorrow. Violence also occurred at Cooch Behar town today.

 

Among the killed four one was identified till this evening, said Forward Bloc leader Mr Akshoy Thakur (MLA). He was Niren Haldar (45) of Gosanimari.

 

District Forward Bloc secretary Mr Udayan Guha said, they organised a law violation programme in support of their seven-point charter of demands in all the five sub-divisions of Cooch Behar district today. He alleged that the police failed to tackle the crowd during the programme at the office premises of Dinhata SDO this noon. When the police resorted to lathicharge the FB supporters got agitated and clashed with police. At first police used teargas shells and then fired indiscriminately on the crowd. Four persons were killed and many were injured seriously in police firing, he claimed. The Forward Bloc called a 24-hour bandh tomorrow against the brutal incident, Mr Guha declared.

 

On the otherhand, violence occurred in Cooch Behar town too. Here the Forward Bloc supporters turned violent when the news of firing at Dinhata arrived. The agitated Forward Bloc supporters clashed with the police during their agitation at Sagardighi Square. The office of Cooch Behar Sadar SDO and other adjacent government offices were attacked. A few government vehicles were also damaged during the trouble. There were reasons enough for their supporters to turn violent, said the Cooch Behar (West) MLA Mr Akshoy Thakur who was leading the law violation programme here. Cooch Behar (North) MLA Mr Dipak Sarkar received injury here and he was shifted to hospital, Mr Thakur said.

 

Mr Thakur claimed that fifty persons or more received bullet injury at Dinhata. 12 of the injured were shifted to Cooch Behar MJN Hospital. Presently there are ten injured at Dinhata sub-divisional hospital, he said.

 

Cooch Behar SP Mr Anil Kumar said, the agitators damaged a few offices at Dinhata and blazed police vehicles. The Dinhata SDO and 25 policemen too got injury. Police tried to disperse the mob by lathicharge. Then they used teargas. At last they had to open fire in which four persons were killed and several others were injured, the SP said. Now, the situation is under control and additional forces were deployed to maintain peace, the SP added.

 

In Cooch Behar town too the agitators damaged some offices and vehicles and pelted stones to the office of the district magistrate, the SP said.

 

Condemning the police firing the president of District Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh announced full support to the FB sponsored bandh. District BJP president Mr Nityananda Munsi and district SUCI secretary Mr Sisir Sarkar too extended their support to the bandh. Forward Bloc sources said the bandh might be extended if necessary. []