West Bengal: 8 killed in local group clash in Birbhum
According to reports, two groups of local miscreants, allegedly sheltered by ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), engaged in a clash with each other at Durbarpur and neighbouring Dawaraka villages under Labpur Police Station limits in Bibhum district since Friday morning over the occupation of sand mines at the area.
Fighting sand mafias allegedly fired several rounds of bullets and hurled crude bombs aiming at each other.
At least eight persons were killed and several others were seriously hurt when one or more crude bomb(s) suddenly went off inside a hut, where bombs were allegedly being made, at Darbarpur village, during the deadly tussle in evening.
Later, a heavy police force along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) rushed to the scene and rescued the injured.
"Two local miscreants' groups engaged in a tussle with each other over a local issue today at Dawaraka village under Labpur PS limits and there is a report of crude bomb explosion in a house at neighbouring Durbarpur village, where bombs were stored or being made that time," a police source told IBNS.
"A heavy police force, led by Bolpur's SDPO and Officer-in-Charges (OCs) of all nearby police stations, along with RAF and Combat Force have been deployed to the scene and few bodies have been recovered from the explosion site while, police rescued few persons seriously injured and sent them to nearby hospitals," the source added.
A large number of security personnel have been posted at these villages as the situation remains tense till the last update came in.
A senior police official said that police have been started probe into the matter while state Criminal Investigation Department (CID)'s bomb disposal squad has been called in to check and examine the house, where the crude bomb(s) went off.
Meanwhile, local leaders of West Bengal's ruling party denied its involvement in the clash.
TMC's Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal, told IBNS, "TMC was not involved in the tussle and CPI-M's miscreants were behind the incident."
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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