Thaindian News

Kolkata, Dec 1 (IANS) Three people were killed in police firing in West Bengal’s Burdwan district Wednesday after they attacked the security forces with bombs and firearms, the authorities said. The Trinamool Congress claimed the victims were its supporters.

While two of the victims were declared brought dead in the Burdwan Medical Colelge and Hospital in the afternoon, one of the injured perished at the hospital at night, police said.

A police team was sent to the Gyatsesagi village following a tip-off that some criminals had taken shelter there. The police were attacked by the Trinamool supporters who hurled bombs and resorted to firing, police superintendent Rajsekharan said.

“In defence, police had to fire leading to the deaths of two miscreants. Three others sustained injuries of whom one died at night in the hospital. At least eight policemen were also injured,” Rajsekharan said.

Union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy, however, claimed that heavily armed Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) cadres had entered the village alongside the police to wrest control of the political turf, leading to clashes.

“As the local villagers tried to resist the goons, police opened fire killing the workers of our party,” Roy said.

He identified two of those killed as Azmal Sheikh and Kajal Mollah.

Roy said seven other Trinamool supporters were injured.

CPI-M district secretary Amal Haldar said not a single CPI-M activist was present in the area during the incident.

Large parts of the state, particularly the rural areas, have witnessed recurrent political clashes between the CPI-M and the Trinamool since last year’s Lok Sabha polls.

With the state slated to hold assembly elections next year, the spate of violence has continued leading to scores of deaths.