Police seek help from leaders

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 5: The Malda district administration has urged political leaders to help police in bringing peace to Mahadipur where tension flared up after a clash between members of two communities over the murder of a youth last evening. The Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, said: “The local leaders should pacify the villagers to maintain peace in the area. Deployment of additional police force and set up of temporary police camps are not enough to check such clashes.” It was learnt that Buddhu Mandal (23), a resident of Kaliachak, was murdered by unidentified persons last evening. Mandal was on way to home when the incident occurred, police said.“No body has been named in the FIR lodged by the victim’s family members. We have started a probe into the murder and efforts are on to nab the killers,” the SP, Mr Mondal, said. Frequent clashes between the members of two communities in the area has worried the police here. It all started when a fish trader was recently murdered over a dispute regarding the ownership of a pond. “We are not sure whether yesterday’s murder was a revenge by the fish trader’s community or not. However, we are looking into all aspects,” the SP, said.

Fresh jolt for L F in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 5: The Malda Left Front received a fresh jolt today when its candidate, Mr Samar Roy, lost the district planning commission vice chairman’s post by one vote to the Congress candidate, Md Sahid.After the controversy surrounding the Malda Zilla Parishad (MZP) annual budget and Old Malda Municipality row, today’s defeat has further embarrassed the Left Front leaders here.It may be recalled that the rift within the Malda Left Front came to fore recently when the Congress-run Malda Zilla Parishad managed to pass its annual budget with support from CPI and FB leaders. Also, a few days back, six LF leaders joined hands to bring a no-confidence motion against the CPI-M chairman of the Old Malda Municipality. Mr Samar Roy has been ousted from the vice chairman’s post despite the fact that the LF enjoys a majority in the DPC.While Mr Roy is a former CPI-M MLA from English Bazaar, his Congress rival, Md Sahid, is a member of the MZP. The DPC, formed to formulate and implement plans, comprises 41 members, including 31 MZP members and eight government nominees. The rest two members are from the two municipalities of the district. The chairman of the committee is sabhadipati of the MZP.With three posts lying vacant, all 38 members were present today. Among them, the district magistrate had no voting right. Among the 37 electors, the Left Front had 19 members while the Congress had 18 members, including the sabhadipati. But after the election that was held in the secret ballot, it was revealed that Md Sahid of the Congress got 19 votes, while Mr Roy managed 18 votes. “I don’t know who among us had voted against our candidate. The Congress resorted to horse trading to capture the post”, said Mr Jiban Moitra, convenor of the Malda district Left Front and secretary of the Malda CPI-M.Even the Congress candidate, Md Sahid, said he had no idea about who cast vote in his favour.

Hili bandh peaceful

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 5: The 12-hour Hili bandh, called by the locals to protest against yesterday’s death of a civilian in BSF firing at Bhimpur village, passed off peacefully today. The bandh evoked a near-total response.Meanwhile, the South Dinajpur police have framed charges under Section 302 IPC against Mr P Jayakumar, a BSF jawan, who allegedly shot dead one Shyamal Mahato (45) yesterday. The South Dinajpur ASP, Mr Bhuban Mandal, said the BSF jawans would be arrested after the doctors release him from the hospital. Mr Jayakumar who was attacked by the locals yesterday, is undergoing treatment at the Balurghat hospital, police said. The DIG of BSF’s Malda sector, Mr DV Saraswat, said: “I have issued a court of inquiry order into the incident. Departmental action would be taken against the accused jawan on the basis of the reports and facts available.” Mr Saraswat who also visited Bhimpur village yesterday, added: “I met the locals there. However, no one could narrate the incident properly. Mr Jayakumar is not in a condition to make any statement.” The BSF officials, meanwhile, have alleged that the villagers also attacked other BSF jawans, besides damaging a vehicle.

BSF fire kills man

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 4: Peeved at the death of a civilian in BSF firing, residents of Bhimpur village in South Dinajpur’s Hili police station area attacked the border guards today, injuring one of them seriously.Trouble broke out after a BSF jawan, Mr P Jayakumar, allegedly shot dead one Shyamal Mahato (45), suspecting him to be a cattle smuggler, at Bhimpur village around 3 pm today. The villagers became furious after the death of Shymal and attacked the BSF jawans.“The villagers turned violent after seeing the body of Shyamal lying on the spot. They first attacked Mr Jayakumar who was on duty at the spot. Other BSF jawans rushed to the spot and opened blank fire to control the situation. This led to a clash between the BSF jawans and the villagers,” the South Dinajpur ASP, Mr Bhuban Mandal, said. The villagers also damaged a vehicle of the BSF officials when they visited the spot. Police said the injured jawan, Mr Jayakumar, was rushed to the Hili hospital from where he was referred to the Balurghat hospital in a serious condition. “The jawan received a bullet injury in his leg,” said a police officer. A police team, headed by DSP (HQ), rushed to the spot to control the angry mob. “The villagers came under control after Mr A Karia, second-in-command, 57 battalion, assured them that the jawan would be punished if found guilty,” the ASP, Mr Mandal, said.

Grandmother of murder accused hangs self

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 4: Malati Mandal (55), grandmother of murder accused Pratap Mandal (14), hanged herself to death at her home in English Bazaar on Friday night, police said today. Pratap, it may be recalled was arrested recently on charges of murdering one Prakash Mandal (10). Though the cause of suicide is yet to be ascertained, police said the woman probably took the step after hundreds of villagers raided her home on Friday night and forced her to give them information regarding the murder. "Villagers of Manikpur near Amriti tried to press the family members of Pratap including his grandmother, to know the motive behind the murder," Malda SP Mr Dilip Kumar Modal said today.It was learnt that the residents of Manikpur village recently held a meeting on the boy's murder and decided to submit a memorandum to the district magistrate, demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident. The villagers collected signatures of 150 people, including the grandmother of the accused, on Friday. After that, the 55-year-old woman committed suicide, police said. "The woman put her thumb impression on the mass petition which was supposed to be submitted to the DM on Monday", said Mr P Pradhan, I-C. English Bazaar police station. Police had to conduct an inquiry on Saturday after it was alleged that the villagers held a kangaroo court to discuss the issue and forced the grandmother of the accused to surrender her land and properties, as compensation to the family members of Prakash.However, the police, after conducting the inquiry, said no kangaroo court was held in the village.The allegation that the villagers forced the woman to surrender her land and properties was wrong,” the I-C, Mr Pradhan, said.It may be recalled that the 10-year-old Prakash went missing in the last week of February.Later, the police found his decomposed body, partly eaten by animals, at a sugar cane field in English Bazaar. Finally, the police arrested Pratap and forwarded him to Juvenile Home in Cooch Behar following a court order. Pratap has been facing the charges of kidnapping and killing Prakash, police, said. The police, however, have not yet been able to know the motive behind the murder. If the sources are to be believed, the police have also not been able so far to collect strong evidences against Pratap.

Hooch sellers still at large

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 2: The South Dinajpur district administration has sought permission from the lower court to issue warrant against two hooch sellers ~ Chandan Sarkar and Tulsi Sarkar.It may be recalled that six persons died and many others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor at a bar-cum-restaurant in Balurghat, owned by the Sarkars, last Sunday. According to the South Dinajpur SP, Mr KK Mallick, three persons are still undergoing treatment at different hospitals. Departmental proceedings and investigation have also been started against the officials of the excise department, sources told The Statesman. Meanwhile, despite continuous raids, the police have so far not been able to arrest the owners of the bar.The police have urged the authorities concerned to seize the bank accounts of the accused, besides attaching their properties. “This would compel them to surrender,” the SP, said. The wives of Chandan and Tulsi were today produced in the court. The court remanded them in jail custody for 14 days, police said. “The samples seized from the bar and the houses of the accused have been sent for a forensic test to Kolkata,” a senior police officer, said. “The raids are on to nab the duo. The BSF officials have also been alerted as the duo might try to cross over to Bangladesh in search of safe shelter,” the SP, Mr Mallick, said.Residents of Balurghat have also demanded immediate arrest of Chandan and Tulsi Sarkar.The incident, meanwhile, has embarrassed the excise department officials of South Dinajpur.Questions are being raised as to how the bar owners managed to sell spurious liquor, keeping the excise officials in dark.

Five students held for assaulting BSF jawans

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 2: Five second year students of Institute of Management and Professional Studies (IMPS), a private college for engineering and technology here, were arrested last night on charges of assaulting three border security force (BSF) jawans on the Kolkata-bound Gour Express at the Malda town station. The three injured jawans were rushed to the Railway Hospital here. While two of them have been released, the condition of one of the jawans ~ Mr Sankar Mandal of 104 battalion who received multiple injuries ~ is stated to be serious.It was learnt that the five arrested students ~ Devjit Pal, Sanjay Mahato, Avik Mitra, Susanta Roy and Avishek Saha ~ were returning home after the completion of their examination yesterday.Trouble broke out when the students found that the BSF jawans had occupied the unreserved compartment of the train. After a brief altercation, the students allegedly attacked the BSF jawans. Railway police officials from Malda station swung into action to rescue the jawans. They, however, also faced the students’ wrath. According to the IMPS sources, the five accused are the second year students of the institute. All of them were produced in the court today. The IMPS authorities could not be contacted due to a three-day Holi vacation at the institute from today.

Atrocity slur on Malda police

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 1: Family members of the men who allegedly murdered Bijoy Ghosh (34), a fish trader, at Beki near Gour a few days back have accused the police of “terrifying” them in the name of conducting investigation. The accused persons, however, are still absconding.Villagers alleged that the English Bazaar police assaulted the women members of the accused persons’ families last night during a raid. According to them, four women were admitted to the Malda district hospital today. Of them, one woman is pregnant, they said. “The police roughed up these women during the raid and also ransacked their houses,” the villagers, alleged. The Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, however, has denied the allegation of atrocities on the accused persons’ family members by the police. Regarding the allegation of injuries caused to the women, the SP, said: “A police officer who was asked to visit the Malda district hospital today, found only one woman there. She, however, had no injury marks in her body,” the SP, claimed. “We have detained four persons in connection with the murder,” he said. According to him, a group of people from a particular community murdered Bijoy when he tried to prevent them from fishing in a disputed pond.#

Smuggler shot dead

MALDA, March 1: An unidentified smuggler was shot dead in BSF firing near Kanchantar border out post in Malda's English Bazaar police station area early today, police said.According to police, border guards had to open fire to stop a group of smugglers from crossing over the border. They were carrying silk cocoons from India, they said. A gunbattle between the border guards and the smugglers also occurred, it was learnt. n SNS

Spurious liquor kills six in Balurghat

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 27: Six persons have died and at least nine fallen ill after consuming spurious foreign liquor at a registered bar in Balurghat.According to police, after consuming spurious liquor at a bar on Sunday, a large number of people fell ill. "Since yesterday, six of them have died," the police, said.The South Dinajpur police and the state excise officials have launched a joint inquiry against the owners of Lokenath Bar and Restaurant, who had managed license from the government one-and-a-half-year ago. The police have arrested the wives of the two owners of the bar. The two accused, however, managed to escape. The South Dinajpur SP, Mr KK Mallick, said: "We raided the house of the bar owners today and found that they were producing spurious foreign liquor. We have also seized some fake foreign liquor bottles, fake level of different branded liquor and other low quality liquor bottles from the owners' house. We are confident that they were producing and selling fake liquor." According to him, on Sunday a group of people had gone to the bar and consumed liquor there. On Monday, a few of them was admitted to the Balurghat hospital.Two persons died at the hospital yesterday. The police had no knowledge about the cause of the death. Hence, it was taken as an unnatural death. The matter came to light when two more patients died this morning at the hospital. After an investigation, the police came to know that these people had consumed liquor at the bar on Sunday night. The SP said while six persons have been referred to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, three are undergoing treatment at the Balurghat hospital currently. The South Dinajpur district administration is planning to freeze the bank accounts of the accused owners of the bar, besides attaching their properties.