Shots fired at CPM polling agent home - Left blames Trinamul for attack in Natabari

Sajal Kumar Khasnobish shows a bullet mark at his house to Natabari
CPM candidate Tamsher Ali(right) on Friday. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

TT, Cooch Behar, May 6: A polling agent of the Natabari CPM candidate today alleged that Trinamul members led by a gram panchayat pradhan had opened fire at his house last night for defying the ruling party's threats to refrain from election campaign.

Sajal Kumar Khasnobish, the polling agent of CPM candidate Tamsher Ali, at booth 139 (Vivekananda Boys' High School, Baburhat), said two shots had been fired, but they hadn't hit him or his family members.

Khasnobish filed a complaint with Kotwali police here today, saying Ashish Chowdhury, the Trinamul pradhan of Guriahati I panchayat, and three party supporters had reached in front of his house and fired the shots last night.

The incident happened at Baburhat, near here, in Natabari Assembly segment, a few hours after polling had ended in Cooch Behar district.

"The incident happened around 10pm when I was sitting at my home with a neighbour. Trinamul men fired at least two rounds. One of the bullets hit the door at the entrance and fell outside, while the other pierced through the door, hit a beam on the roof and fell on the ground," said Khasnobish, a driver with the North Bengal State Transport Corporation.

He has two children, a seven-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, and his mother Kanakprava Khasnobish who is bed-ridden. Except the son, who appeared for Madhyamik exams this year, all were at home last night.

Khasnobish's wife had passed away a few years back.

He said the attack was the fallout of his defiance of Trinamul threats.

"The local panchayat pradhan, Ashish Chowdhury, and his cohorts had asked me on May 3 to refrain from campaigning. They had even said if I participated in the elections, I would face consequences. I informed the Election Commission about the threats. Officials assured me that I would not face any problem. Yesterday, I went to my booth and worked as the polling agent. Trinamul had plans to rig the polls, but they could not. That is why they organised the attack on me yesterday," said Khasnobish.

The Kotwali police, along with central paramilitary personnel, reached his house last night. They retrieved an empty cartridge from the spot.

This morning, CPM candidate Ali visited Khasnobish's house.

"Trinamul has unleashed a reign of terror across Natabari since yesterday. They had opened fire at Sajal's house to spread terror in the area. This has happened because of spontaneous participation of people in the polls yesterday," said Ali.

The panchayat pradhan, Chowdhury, said he or Trinamul had no link with the attack.

Sunil Yadav, the superintendent of police of Cooch Behar, said: "We have received a complaint. All such complaints are being looked into with due importance. Our officers are investigating on the basis of the complaints."

The Trinamul candidate of Natabari, Rabindranath Ghosh, had yesterday threatened polling officials and a CPM election agent during the voting. He had also thrashed a Trinamul worker and entered the premises of a booth in his SUV that bore his campaign poster in the rear glass.

Ali said Trinamul workers had beaten up two CPM supporters at Krishnapur and Baxirkuthi, both under Natabari Assembly segment, after the voting.

Ghosh denied the allegations. "The allegations are baseless. Ali is well aware that he will lose Natabari. That is why he is levelling such allegations," he said.