Villager hacked in clash near booth, EC seeks DM’s report

KOLKATA: A 52-year-old man lost his life during a clash in Murshidabad’s Bhagabangola, becoming Bengal’s first casualty of the 2019 poll season, as five constituencies in the state voted for the third phase of the general elections on Tuesday.


Turnout remained impressive, with all five seats — Balurghat, Malda North Malda South, Murshidabad and Jangipur — recording at least 75% polling. But Abdul Kalam Tiarul Shiekh’s violent death stood out, prompting the Election Commission to ask for a report from the district administration. In Malda, a presiding officer was removed from poll duty by state chief electoral officer Ariz Aftab for casting bogus votes.

“We are investigating the death with an open mind. We are not yet sure whether the clash was a result of a family feud or political rivalry. Three people, including main accused Lalu Shiekh, have been arrested,” additional director-general (law and order) Siddhinath Gupta said.

Murshidabad Congress candidate Abu Hena claimed Sheikh was from his party. Trinamool candidate Abu Taher said the death was unfortunate but his party supporters, too, came under attack. “We will probe the allegations. But how could this happen in the presence of central forces?” he asked. The sequence of events leading to Tiarul’s death started with opposition agents complaining against “malpractices” by Trinamool supporters at booth 188 at Baligram Primary School. The presiding officer reported the matter to the sector officer, who reached the polling booth with a huge police force around noon and left after an inquiry. A scuffle broke out between Trinamool and Congress supporters thereafter and Tiarul, witnesses said, was caught in the violence.

Alleged Trinamool-backed goons tore open Tiarul’s belly with machetes, less than 400 metres from a “sensitive” booth manned by central forces, as he was walking back home with son Mahtab Sheikh after voting. “Trinamool anti-socials Lalu Sheikh and Anroon started abusing us when we came out of the booth. My father did not respond. They then hit us with bamboo poles. My dad fell down as I tried to shield him. They then dragged my father away and tore open his belly with a machete,” Mahtab said.

He succumbed to his injuries on the way to Behrampore Medical College. Mahtab and an injured Trinamool supporter were taken to Nasipur Health Centre from where they were shifted to Lalbag Sub-Divisional Hospital. Tiarul’s brother, Aijuddin Shiekh, said there was no police force outside the booth during the incident.

The Murshidabad constituency witnessed several other incidents of violence. A Trinamool councillor’s husband, Tojammel Ansari, and two others sustained serious injuries in Domkal’s Maniknagar, a CPM polling agent was allegedly driven out of a booth in Bhaganbangola and bombing was reported from Domkal’s Tiktikipara.

Sporadic incidents were reported from some of the other constituencies; there was bombing in Malda Uttar’s Chanchol and booth-jamming in Ratua in the same constituency. Trinamool supporters allegedly thrashed BJP supporter Mantu Roy in Balurghat’s Tapan.

These incidents, however, failed to pull down voting. The five seats recorded an average polling of 78.9% till 5 p.m., Balurghat recording the highest (80.9%) and Malda Uttar the lowest (76.4%). The EC deployed central forces at 92% of the polling booths.

A Congress delegation later staged a dharna at the state CEO’s Kolkata office to protest against the Murshidabad death. “Trinamool men, backed by state cops, tried to create trouble when Murshidabad residents voted spontaneously for the Congress,” Congress’s Hena said. The Congress also demanded re-poll at booths 166, 167, 168, 169, 170 in Malda Dakshin’s Sujapur.

A BJP delegation, too, called on state CEO Aftab to protest against Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s remarks against central forces. A Left Front delegation was the next to meet Aftab; it complained against Trinamool supporters driving out CPM agents from a Bhagabangola polling booth.

The Trinamool, on the other hand, lodged a complaint with the EC; MLA Amal Acharya said central forces tried to influence voters at polling booths in the Balurghat’s Itahar. CM Banerjee endorsed the complaint.