RBU post-graduate lynched in rigging row

KOLKATA: Tragedy blurred the political divide on Monday as grieving families tried to come to terms with their personal tragedies.
In Shantipur’s Sarbanandapara, a55-year-old mother was trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her 27-year-old son, a history postgraduate from Rabindra Bharati University, whose quest for a government job got him to politics, and the Trinamool Congress. About 185km away, a 17-year-old was mourning the death of his parents — both CPM supporters — charred to death in their sleep at their Kakdwip home.

Leela Pramanik, who, along with her husband, weaves fabrics to eke out a living, had spent most of their life struggling to fund their son Sanjit’s education. “His quest for a government job lured him to the Trinamool. He did odd errands for the local MLA, writing letters and certificates. He told us the MLA has assured him of a stable job,” she said. He left home last night. “We were strongly against him joining politics. We repeatedly cautioned him. But the promise of a job lured him to politics. Now, he has paid with his life,” she added, choking up.

According to police sources, Sanjit and five others rode on two motorcycles and reached the two polling booths at Babla Primary School at Santipur’s Sardarpara. It was alleged they had tried to intimidate locals and attempted to rig the polls. It was then that their political opponents, mostly tribal, armed with arrows, spears and guns, attacked them. By the time police rescued them and took them to hospital, Sanjit had died.

In Kakdwip, Dipankar Das (17) had returned home after midnight. The school dropout who works for a catering agency had a wedding to attend the night before. He says even from afar that he could see his Budakhali home up in flames. In the flames, he claims to have spotted two or three people scampering away. Fearing the worst, he screamed for help. The locals helped him to douse the flames, but they were too late. His parents Deb Prasad Das (50) and Usha (45) — both local CPM workers — were charred to death in their sleep. “They were murdered because they were CPM supporters,” Dipankar said. Police, however, said they were probing whether they died of electrocution.

Not far away in Kultali, Zarina Biwi refused to accept her widowed status. Zarina said her husband, a Trinamool supporter, had merely stepped out of home to cast his vote when he was killed. Arif Hussain Gazi (35) was caught in a political crossfire between supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress and SUCI.

In Murshidabad, 27-year-old Khokon Mondal said he had warned his uncle, a BJP worker, about being careful. “Today, he paid the price,” he said. Tapan Mondal (55) was killed in a cross-fire as armed political activists chased BJP supporters outside a booth in Beldanga’s Kumarpur. “Our family was dependent on his agricultural income. We are ruined ,” he said.

In Nowda’s Patikabari, Tanjila Bibi said he had tried to stop her 26-year-old son about meddling in politics. Shine Sheikh was killed in bombing when he was escorting an elderly voter inside a booth. “I had warned my son not to back the rebel Trinamool candidate when a very strong candidate had been put up by the official party,” Tanjila said.