Bengal poll violence claims life of 17-year-old student, death toll reaches 15

KOLKATA: The ongoing violence in West Bengal related to the rural polls scheduled on the 8th of July claimed the life of a school student late on Tuesday night in Deganga village of North 24 Parganas district,  taking the death toll to 15 in the past 26 days, since the date for the rural poll was announced.

Class XI student Imran Hasan had gone to participate in a rally and workers’ meet organised by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Allegedly, on their way back from the event the supporters of CPI(M) and Indian Secular Force hurled bombs at the TMC supporters, said sources.

“When we were passing in front of a house owned by a leader of the ISF, bombs were hurled from the rooftop of the two-storey building. We dispersed and shortly after, we found Hasan lying on the ground. A bomb hit his chest and exploded. We took him to a nearby healthcare centre where doctors declared him dead on arrival,” said local TMC supporter Mohammad Selim Mondal.  

Mondal alleged the attack was carried out jointly by the CPI(M) and ISF (Indian Secular Force - the outfit which was floated before the 2021 Assembly elections by an influential Muslim cleric), who joined hands in some of the pockets in south Bengal in the upcoming rural polls. 

Hasam’s family alleged the attackers also opened fire but police did not corroborate the claim.

Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari held chief minister Mamata Banerjee and State Election Commissioner Tajeeva Sinha responsible for the student’s death. “The state poll panel and the state administration as well are not utilising the available central force personnel for area domination and confidence-building measures. The chief minister and the SEC chief are responsible for Hasan’s death,” he alleged.