Toll in panchayat poll-related violence rises to 59 with death of two more in South 24-Parganas

At Bishnupur, Trinamul Congress activist Pralay Mondal, 32, was shot dead by unidentified goons on Friday night

Subhasish Chaudhuri, TT, Calcutta, 16.07.23  :  The toll in panchayat poll-related violence rose to 59 with the death of two persons in South 24-Parganas in the last 24 hours.

At Bishnupur in South 24-Parganas, Trinamul activist Pralay Mondal, 32, was shot dead by unidentified goons on Friday night. The incident occurred around 10.30pm when Mondal, a civil contractor, was returning home on his motorcycle.

Police and Trinamul sources said Pralay was stopped by the goons near South Bagi village and shot from close range. He was taken to the Amtala Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Trinamul has accused local BJP activist Biren Mondal and his aides of the murder. A complaint has been lodged against Biren, who is absconding.

BJP leaders blamed Trinamul infighting for the murder.

Another Trinamul activist died on Saturday at a Calcutta hospital. Sheikh Moslem, a Trinamul worker, had suffered injuries in an attack in Bhangar a day before the rural poll on July 8.

Trinamul said Moslem was beaten with an iron rod by ISF supporters. Kashipur police have started a murder case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s wife.

An ISF leader in Bhangar said Moslem was a victim of Trinamul infighting and the ISF had nothing to do with the death.

TMC murder

At Satmukhi-Gazipara in Canning in South 24-Parganas, Trinamul leader Nantu Gazi died after he was attacked with sharp weapons allegedly by ISF supporters.

Gazi, a booth committee president of the ruling party, was returning home from the market when some ISF supporters stabbed him several times.

Police and family members said an old rivalry was the reason for the murder.

Local sources said the slain leader was a prime witness to the murder of his father-in-law Zulfiqar Gazi, a Trinamul leader who was killed in2015.

Shamsher Gazi, brother-in-law of Nantu Gazi, said: “The goons who killed my father attacked Nantu last night. They wanted to remove him because he was the prime witness in the murder of Zulfiqar. The killers have now joined the ISF to get political protection.”

Kids injured

Two Class IV students were injured at Babla village of Salar in Murshidabad when a crude bomb they thought was a ball exploded.