Three persons lost their lives in a bomb blast when they were allegedly making bombs in an abandoned house on Monday in West Bengal. The incident happened in Taltali area in Jalangi of Murshidabad district in West Bengal, where several other persons were injured. The victims, Mintu Mandal, Nantu Molla and Chabi Shekh are members of the ruling Trinamool Congress, and it is alleged that they died when the bombs they were making or handling got detonated accidentally.
The Taltali area is seeing clashes between two groups of TMC over the control of the local river port, and these clashes had turned violent. On 12th of this month, bombs were hurled at each other by the two rival groups. The three victims of the Monday’s blast were also involved in that fight with bombs.
Local residents inform that the trio had assembled in an abandoned house, allegedly to make bombs. But accidentally the bombs got detonated. The blast was so powerful that the bodies of the victims were blown into pieces, and several other persons were injured.
A large team of police personnel arrived at Taltali from Jalangi police station who recovered the bodies of the victims and identified them, who are residents of the Taltali area. Police said that the preliminary probe suggests that the blast happened during making bombs.
Jalangi block TMC leader Rakibul denied that the victims were TMC members. But Jalangi MLA Abdur Razzak Mandal of Trinamool Congress confirmed that they were members of his party. But he denied any knowledge about the possible reason for the incident. He said that the party has started a probe into the incident.
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According to sources, the fight over the control of the local river port between rival groups is not new. Earlier it happened between groups of ruling Congress and Left parties, and now that tradition has been continued by the TMC. Police confirmed that clashes were going between two groups over the matter, and bombs were being made to prepare for that fight. The locals also said that bombs were being made by the rival gangs, and people had stopped going near the river in the evenings due to this reason.
The families of the victims, on the other hand, deny the allegations that they were making bombs. The wife of deceased Nantu Molla alleged that her husband and others were bombed by the rival TMC gang. She also said that due to the clashes between the groups, Nantu was unable to stay in his house, and he was living in the abandoned house on the riverbank for the last few days. But the rivals got to know about this and they attacked the house with bombs, she alleged.
Police have launched a probe into the incident. Today bomb disposal squad combed the area and recovered a large number of live bombs.
