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A person was critically injured Sunday after he was shot at from point-blank range in West Bengal’s Jhargram, triggering a war of words between BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
While BJP blamed TMC for the incident, the ruling party denied the charge. A villager was detained by the police following initial investigation and a case has been lodged.
The incident took place at Bagua village under the jurisdiction of Jamboni police station, PTI reported. Two persons approached Khagapati Mahato while he was attending a Kirtan (devotional song) programme and one of them shot at him, a police officer said.
The miscreants fled the scene immediately, he said. Police further said the injured person and the miscreants were residents of Bagua village.
BJP’s Jhargram district president Sukhomoy Satpati alleged that the TMC supporters were involved in the incident. “We have informed the district administration. The miscreants should be arrested immediately,” he said.
The incident comes a day after a 40-year-old TMC leader was shot dead at Bandel station in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Saturday. A 12-hour shutdown was called by Trinamool in Chinsurah during the day to protest against the alleged killing.
“Ram was shot at point-blank range. A case will be registered by GRP and police will assist them. Prima facie it appears to be a planned murder. An investigation is on,” said Police Commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi.
The deceased’s wife, Neetu, claimed that he had been killed by anti-social elements of the area. However, TMC claimed that he had been murdered by the BJP.