Ration dealer attacked

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 1: Police had to fire two rounds in the air and resorted to lathicharge to disperse a mob that had attacked the house of a ration dealer, Mr Rabindranath Singha, at Godang village in Malda’s Gazole police station area today. Hundreds of villagers backed by the BJP set fire to a kerosene drum in the house of Mr Singha, who is a CPI-M worker, as he reportedly sought help from the party to manage angry consumers, local administrative officials said. Dozens were injured including five cops when villagers clashed with the police and shot arrows at the men in uniform. Villagers including women took out a rally in protest against the police firing and lathicharge. “We had to open fire when the villagers started shooting arrows at us and the situation tended to go beyond control. A circle inspector was injured by stones pelted by the villagers,” said the Malda SP Mr DK Mondal. “Villagers, mainly belonging to the above poverty line category had been demanding pending food materials, which had not been delivered by the dealer for long. They had staged agitations twice against the dealer before. The local police officials tackled the situation and urged them to submit a complaint against the dealer but the complaint is yet to reach the administration,” said Mr Sebananda Panda, joint BDO, Gazole block. “It was a planned attack by the villagers,” he commented. The police prevented two BJP local committee leaders from reaching the spot of occurrence to control the situation. Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the commotion so far. The police fear that the raiders could once again attack the ration dealer. It has been decided that the sub-divisional food controller and the joint BDO, would hold a meeting with the agitators and try to pacify them. The sub inspector of food and supplies department Mr Sibnath Bhattacahrya and Mr Sebananda Panda talked to the villagers but failed to convince them. Tension prevails elsewhere in the district too over the ration issue.