A first time voter, identified as Ananda Burman, aged 18-20, was today killed when a group of miscreants armed with guns and bombs attacked him on a voters line at Paglapir booth under Sitalkuchi in Cooh Behar district, even as the 4th phase polling for 44 assembly seats in five districts of West Bengal was underway.
Representative image.
Kolkata:
Combat force and local police used baton and lathis to disperse a warring mob of the TMC supporters and rival BJP after the shooting incident which hit the victim's back while he was fleeing following a chase by the miscreants.
Family members at the hospital where the body was kept at the emergency ward told the investigation police officials that the victim was standing in the queue to vote suddenly a group of TMC supporters began attacking him and as he tried to flee a shot hit his back and fell on the ground.
This was the first such shooting on the voters' line and the previous three phases on March 27,April 1 and April 6 have not seen such killing near the polling centre in the state. The family members of the victim have alleged that the TMC goons attacked him and killed while he was standing on a queue to cast vote.
The local TMC leaders claimed that the victim was their supporter. Eye witnesses told police that before the polling began at 7 am fresh tension was brewing in the area and rival supporters had assembled much away from the polling booth. The area has been tense since BJP state president Dilip Ghosh was attacked three days ago while electioneering.
Elsewhere, some 37 postal ballots were found in a dropbox at a block office in Bankura, where election was held on April 6, The postal ballots should have been kept at the treasury building strong room for Taldangra assembly seat alleged TMC candidate Arup Chakraborty. He alleged that the postal ballots were found in the drop box of Simlipal block office.
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