Clashes rock Malda killing two wounding several

Family feud kills 2

MALDA, Oct. 27: Two persons were killed and several others injured in a clash between two groups of villagers at Bhawanipur village in Malda’s English Bazaar police station area today.Police said the villagers held a kangaroo court today over a fight between two brothers of Mirja family at Bhawanipur yesterday. Trouble broke out when the villagers found that the two brothers did not turn up at the kangaroo court. Although the duo’s father was present at the kangaroo court, the village judges refused to pronounce the verdict. As a result, the kangaroo court ended without any result.Hundreds of villagers then barged into the house of Mirja family. Soon, the villagers anger snowballed into a clash. Members of Mirja family allegedly attacked the villagers with sticks and stones in self-defence. The villagers retaliated by hurling bombs, killing Mirja Bhagir (70) and his elder son Mirja Mahidur (35). Angry villagers then set the house of Mirja family on fire.Senior police officials rushed to the village immediately after the incident. Fire tenders were also pressed into service to douse the flames after the house of Mirja family was set on fire. The Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, said Lalu Mirza, prime accused of the clash, had been absconding. The SP, however, said the situation was under control in the village now.

12 injured in CPM, Cong clash at Jalalpur

MALDA, Oct. 27: At least 12 persons were injured, seven of them seriously, in a clash between CPI-M and Congress activists at Jalalpur in Malda’s Kaliachak police station area today. Police had to open fire in the air to disperse the mob. According to police, the clash broke out during a meeting on no-confidence motion raised by the Congress against Mr Ataur Rahman, the CPI-M pradhan of Jalalpur gram panchayat, today. Activists of the two parties allegedly attacked each other with lethal weapons. Eyewitnesses said the agitating activists of the two parties also used crude bombs. The seven seriously injured persons have been undergoing treatment at the Malda district hospital, police said. “We had to fire 10 rounds in the air to control the situation,” the Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, said. The agitating activists of the two parties also attacked the police, eyewitnesses said. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the clash. Police patrolling has been intensified in the area to defuse tension. The clash broke out after the no-confidence motion was passed against the CPI-M pradhan, police said. The CPI-M members of the board became furious after they found that memberships of two CPI-M leaders, who had recently joined the Congress, were not cancelled, official sources said. The CPI-M members of the Jalalpur GP board had recently appealed to the SDO to cancel the membership of the two members on “reasonable ground” under the Panchayat Act. The SDO, however, refused to do so on several grounds. English Bazaar MLA and senior Congress leader Mr KN Choudhury, alleged that the CPI-M hired miscreants to the attack the Congress activists today. The Malda district secretary of CPI-M, Mr Jiban Moitra, on his part, said: “The CPI-M members of the GP board were not present at the meeting.” n SNS