PEACE LOST!

Tufanganj tense, bandh, 2 injured in gunshot

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 20: The situation in Tufanganj turned worse today. Two Trinamul Congress supporters received bullet injury at early morning at Bhairaber-tari village under Deocharai gram panchayat area in Tufanganj today. They were shifted to MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar. Trinamul Congress called a 24-hour bandh in Tufanganj sub-division tomorrow. CPI-M declared its opposition to the bandh. They are to organise protest rally at different areas in the district tomorrow against Trinamul's terror-tactics.

 

When asked, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said measures would be taken after receiving reports from the police.

 

District Trinamul Congress vice-president Mr Niranjan Dutta alleged that a large contingent of police in association with police-uniform clad CPI-M goons raided some residences at Bhairaber-tari village under Deocharai gram panchayat area at about 3-30 a.m. today. They beat and tortured the villagers including women. Many of the women fled to nearby jungle to save their modesty.

 

The police and the CPI-M goons ransacked some dwellings and beat the villagers mercilessly, Mr Dutta said. They also opened fire and two Trinamul Congress activists - Mujibar Rahman and Rafiqul Islam – received bullet injury in their heads. Later they were shifted to MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar. Three women – Sukurjan Beoya, Amijan Bibi and Sahida Bibi were also injured. Police arrested six persons including three women from the area, Mr Dutta claimed.

 

District Trinamul Congress president Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh declared a 24-hour bandh in Tufanganj sub-division tomorrow demanding strict measures against the offenders.

 

Meanwhile, a 24-hour bandh was observed today at Deocharai area in Tufanganj against Saturday night's incident in which police reportedly beat many Trinamul Congress supporters during a drive to arrest some wanted persons in connection with some cases.

 

Today, massive roadblock was held along NH-31 starting from Dawaguri to Baxirhat. Vehicular traffic between Assam and West Bengal was affected during the roadblock.

 

District CPI-M secretary Mr Chandi Pal said the Trinamul Congress is trying to terrorise people. They are trying to breach the peace in this district. He said that the police went to arrest some wanted persons and the Trinamul Congress supporters resisted the police to do their duty. He denied involvement of any CPI-M supporter with the incidents. The CPI-M leader declared that they would organise rallies in the district tomorrow to thwart the Trinamul design to disturb peace. "We will also oppose the Trinamul sponsored bandh in Tufanganj tomorrow", Mr Pal announced. []