Trinamool leader killed in bomb blast, 4th such attack in Bengal in 9 days

A local Trinamool Congress leader was killed and two others were injured in a bomb blast targetting him in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Saturday.

The incident occurred when the victim, Baitullah Sheikh, was returning from a tea shop in Bishia village around 8 pm. Sheikh was the husband of Shakeela Bibi, a fisheries officer of Mayureshwar-1 Panchayat Samiti in Birbhum.

While he was walking on the road, some miscreants came and threw three bombs at him, which exploded, and injured him grievously. He was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The Mallarpur police were investigating the motive behind the bomb blast.

This is the second attack involving a Trinamool Congress leader in Birbhum district in nearly one week. Overall, it is the fourth such incident across West Bengal in the past few days.

EARLIER INSTANCES OF TRINAMOOL LEADERS BEING ATTACKED

On July 13, a 42-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead in Birbhum. Three people, including two women, were detained in connection with the murder, police were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The incident occurred when gunmen shot at Piyush Ghosh, the Srinidhipur panchayat president, near his residence in Komarpur village in the district, an officer said.

"One bullet was fired from close range. Someone close to the victim could be involved in the murder. We are probing possible business disputes," he added.

Earlier, Rajjak Khan, a Trinamool Congress local committee president from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, was killed on July 10.

Abul Kalam Azad, a Trinamool Congress panchayat-level worker, was hacked to death while celebrating his birthday on July 10 at English Bazar in Malda district.

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(with inputs from PTI)