Statesman News Service
MALDA, Jan 22: One person was shot and several other injured in a clash between residents of Nimtala village and a few goons over the control of a private madrassah in Ratua police station, Malda district. The hostilities began last night and continued till about 10 a.m today.
A local fisherman, Ramesh Mandal, sustained bullet wound during the violence and was taken to Malda hospital for treatment. The doctors have referred him to Kolkata for further treatment.
Frustrated with the alleged police inaction in restraining the goons, the locals confined the officer in-charge of Ratua police station. Circle inspector Mr Satya Chakraborty rescued the officer with the help of a large police force this morning. The police have set up camp in the area to diffuse tension. The criminals, in the meanwhile, fled after firing several rounds and exploding bombs.
The villagers had united irrespective of political affiliation to resist the goons, who allegedly are an 18-member group from a single family of the area and were using the madrassah for nefarious activities including terrorising the locals and heckling women of the locality.
According to the villagers, police had failed to act against the culprits despite several reminders. They said that the group consisted of 18 siblings, all sons of Mahasin Sheikh, under the leadership of one Yahsin Sheikh. According to the villagers, a number of the brothers had criminal records and had been to jail.
“A few of them were in jail recently for different crimes. They grabbed the madrassah after coming out of jail and were using the centre of learning for immoral activities,” the villagers said.
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