12 arrested for Chopra election clashes

A deserted street at Lalbazar in Chopra block on Sunday

KOUSIK SEN, TT, Apr 16, 2018,  Raiganj: North Dinajpur district police have arrested 12 people in connection with recurring clashes that led to the death of one person and left two others injured at different locations in Chopra block on Saturday.

Although no fresh violence occurred in Lakkhipur and Lalbazar - both in Chopra block - on Sunday, an underlying tension simmered at the localities.

A few shops were open but the streets were deserted in both the areas, as the police went on patrolling throughout the day.

On Saturday, Trinamul and Congress supporters clashed at different locations. During the clash, bullets and pellets were fired, bombs were lobbed, some houses and shops and even an office of the Congress was ransacked.

The police had to rush to the spot and bring the situation under control. Unconfirmed sources said the police had burst teargas shells and even fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Sources in the district police said two cases had been registered against those who perpetrated violence.

"We conducted raids and arrested 12 people who had indulged in violence. Our men have been posted in the area," said Shyam Singh, the superintendent of police, North Dinajpur.

The district police chief iterated that Baisakhu Karmakar, a 55-year-old Congress supporter, had died from heart attack on Saturday. "We have spoken to his family members who confirmed that he had cardiac problems. We suspect that a sudden heart attack has led to the death," said Singh.

Congress leaders of Chopra, who had blamed Trinamul for the attacks, said on Saturday that the police were acting in a biased manner.

"Our supporters were attacked by armed Trinamul cadres and one of our supporters died in the attacks. It is disappointing that the police, instead of taking steps against these people, are arresting our workers and supporters and implicating them in different cases," Ashok Roy, the Congress president of Chopra block, said.

On Saturday, the Congress leader had alleged that Trinamul cadres had tried to take away one of their candidates from Lalbazar.

Hamidul Rehman, the Trinamul MLA of Chopra, has however, said the incidents were the fallout of infighting within Congress.

Although the situation in Chopra remained peaceful since Saturday afternoon, there was attack on a Left candidate in the Dooars tea belt.

On Chengmari Tea Estate under Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri, Kishor Toppo, a CPM panchayat poll candidate, was attacked by a group of around 15 suspected Trinamul supporters.

"They broke the door of my house and attacked me with iron rods and strikes. This is because I was not ready to withdraw my nomination as demanded by them," said Toppo.

Trinamul has denied the charge.

"There had not been a single incident of violence during the nomination process in Nagrakata. The CPM candidate is trying to reap political dividend by raising such charges against our people," said Amarnath Jha, the block Trinamul president at Nagrakata.

Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri correspondent