KOLKATA: Police have arrested another individual in connection with the tragic death of Class IV student Tamanna Khatun, who was killed in a bomb explosion in West Bengal’s Kaliganj shortly before the official declaration of Trinamool Congress candidate Alifa Ahmed’s victory in the Assembly bypoll on Monday.
The latest arrest of Shariful Sheikh brings the total number of arrests to five, according to police sources. Shariful was among 24 individuals named in a written complaint lodged by the victim’s family.
Tamanna’s death has sparked outrage, with her family alleging that Trinamool Congress-backed miscreants were behind the attack. The victim’s father claimed, “The houses of workers and supporters of opposition parties were attacked and bombed. We have no trust in the police. I will go as far as I have to for justice for my daughter.”
The Superintendent of Krishnanagar Police District, Amarnath K, who visited the site, initially described the incident as an accident. “Accidentally the girl died after splinters from a bomb hit her,” he stated.
However, the family has rejected the police’s version. Tamanna’s mother, Sabina Bibi, accused authorities of downplaying the gravity of the incident. “This is a planned murder. The seriousness of the crime cannot be reduced by calling it an accident,” she said.
Reiterating the family's demand for a fair and impartial investigation, she added, “Let the CBI come. Let them investigate. Let them come and give proper justice for my daughter’s death.”
The incident has added to the already volatile political atmosphere in the state, raising serious questions about law and order and the role of political violence during elections.