Thaindian News

Kolkata, Dec 4 (IANS) West Bengal’s opposition Left Front Sunday demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the Magrahat firing, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a judicial commission headed by a retired justice.

Breifing media persons here after a meeting of Front partners, LF chairman Biman Bose said: “Proper probe is not possible with a retired judge at the helm. We demand that the probe be headed by a sitting justice”.

Bose also said the chief minister would have to take responsibility for the incident. “After all she is the police minister and the home minister. So she has to take the responsibility.”

Banerjee Saturday announced that retired judge Prabir Samanta would head the commission that would look into the circumstances that triggered the firing, in which two people had been killed, and identify the police personnel who fired as also those who had fomented the trouble.

“The government has nothing to hide. We want the truth to come out,” she said.

Two people were Thursday killed and 22 people, including 16 policemen, injured as clashes between a mob and security forces over illegal electric connections in Magrahat in South 24 Parganas district led to police opening fire.

The chief minister has described the incident as “unfortunate” and said the officials made a mistake and the guilty will be given exemplary punishment.

She has also announced Rs.2 lakh compensation for the families of the dead.

Bose Sunday also said six farmers had committed suicide in Burdwan district alone during the six months of the Trinamool Congress government.

“The peasants are not getting proper prices. They are burning paddy, they are burning jute,” he added.