TMC leader shot dead in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman; wife blames infighting, party leaders point at Opposition

Purba Bardhaman: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was shot dead in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district when he was returning home from a nearby party office, police said on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_6757331” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Insan Mallik, who was treasurer of Kalna No 1 Panchayat Samity, was shot from behind while he was riding his two-wheeler to home in Rajkhara village around 8.30 pm on Friday, they said. Mallik was shot below his waist, police said, adding that he was then rushed to the Kalna hospital, from where he was referred to a hospital in Kolkata. He died on the way to Kolkata, about 100 kilometres away. TMC district president Swapan Debnath hit out at the opposition parties over the killing and said Mallik became their target as he was a deft organiser. “I have told the police to probe the incident and arrest those behind the killing,” he said. However, Mallik’s wife Shiuli, who is also a TMC leader, blamed the party’s infighting for the killing of her husband. She named a TMC leader and his “gang” of the Nandai area for the death and demanded they be arrested. Debnath, however, did not comment on her allegations and said the law will take its own course. Protesting the killing of Mallik, who was well-known in the area, hundreds of TMC supporters blocked the Kalna-Bardhaman road for about an hour. Sources said some people are being questioned about the killing, but no arrests have been made. Additional Superintendent of Police Dhruba Das said no complaint has been filed. “Will take necessary action if a complaint is lodged,” he said. Earlier this week, another TMC leader, Anil Majhi, was killed in the district’s Madhabdihi area. Police have arrested a BJP leader in connection with that killing, officials said.