Eight people, six women and two children, were burnt to death in violence that erupted at Baktui village in West Bengal ‘s Birbhum district on Tuesday following the murder of a deputy pradhan of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Several houses were set on fire after the murder and seven charred bodies recovered from one house alone. One person died of burn injuries at a hospital in Birbhum, the police said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malaviya said the police were probing the connection between the murder and the violence. A special investigation team (SIT), comprising ADG CID Gyanwant Singh, IG Burdwan Zone B. L. Meena and DIG CID (Ops) Meeraj Khalid, had been set up to probe the incident.
“It is not political rivalry. It could be deep-rooted personal enmity between two groups,” the DGP said. Miscreants hurled bombs at deputy pradhan Bhadu Sheikh on Monday evening and he sustained grievous injuries. According to villagers, after his death, miscreants set several huts on fire. Senior police officers said the retaliation was immediate. Seven bodies were recovered from the house of Sanju Sheikh.
