Guwahati: At least 10 people were burnt alive after a mob set their houses on fire in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Monday.
The incident took place after the alleged murder of a Trinamool Congress leader who served as the panchayat chief in Birbhum.
As per national media reports, following the assassination of the TMC leader, an enraged crowd set fire to 10 to 12 homes in the Bogtui village on the outskirts of Rampurhat late last night.
According to reports, ten dead have been discovered so far, seven of which were found burnt in a single residence.
Reports further claimed that the body of Bhadu Sheikh, the TMC panchayat deputy chief of Barshal village as discovered in the area on Monday. Further investigation is underway in the matter.
Despite reports that the event was the result of a feud between two factions of the ruling party, TMC General Secretary Kunal Ghosh stated that the incident had nothing to do with politics.
“It’s tragic that locals died in a fire. However, there is no political connection to this incidence. This is a conflict within the village. The deceased panchayat deputy chief was a well-known figure, and his death enraged the locals, prompting a violent protest. The fire broke out late at night, but cops and firefighters responded quickly,” Kunal Ghosh stated in a Bengali tweet.
According to a Birbhum district police officer, Bhadu Sheikh’s brother, Babar Sheikh, was shot dead in the same hamlet a year ago.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee has constituted a three-person special investigative team to look into the deaths of seven persons who were allegedly set on fire.