A 35-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, Samir Ghosh, was killed in the Ramkeli area of West Bengal’s Malda district on Wednesday evening, triggering tension and clashes between two groups that left six people injured, according to police.
The incident took place in the jurisdiction of the English Bazar police station. Police said Ghosh was attacked with sharp weapons before being shot twice. He succumbed to his injuries.
Following the killing, clashes broke out between two groups in the area. The injured were admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Police deployed additional personnel to prevent further violence and said the situation was under control. The motive behind the killing and the identities of the attackers remain under investigation.
Ghosh’s family alleged that he was attacked in front of his house. According to his relatives, the assailants struck him on the head with a sharp weapon before opening fire.
The family blamed individuals associated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the attack, alleging that Ghosh was targeted because of his political activities linked to the BJP.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and police have not publicly confirmed a political motive for the killing. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain under investigation.
Some local residents have also reportedly expressed suspicions about the involvement of individuals associated with a rival political party. However, the involvement of any individual or organisation has not been established.
Tensions escalated in Ramkeli after Ghosh’s death, with a confrontation between two groups leaving six people injured, police said. Detailed information about the identities of the injured and the severity of their injuries has not been made public.
All six injured people were taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Police increased their deployment in the area to prevent further incidents.
Authorities said the situation was under control. No arrests had been confirmed in connection with the incident in the information available.
The TMC rejected the allegations made by Ghosh’s family, stating that the incident could be linked to a family dispute rather than political rivalry.
The party also claimed that several members of the family, including a woman, were injured in the clashes.
The accounts provided by the two sides differ. While Ghosh’s family alleges that he was killed for political reasons, the TMC has suggested a family dispute as a possible explanation. Neither claim has been independently established on the basis of the information available.
The investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events before the attack, identify those present at the scene and determine the circumstances in which the clashes broke out after the killing.
The investigation into Ghosh’s killing remains ongoing, with police examining the circumstances of the attack, the weapons used and the possible involvement of suspects.
The available information remains limited to the killing, the subsequent clashes and the conflicting claims made by the family and the TMC. No arrests have been confirmed so far.
Police have increased security in Ramkeli to maintain law and order as the investigation proceeds. The findings are expected to clarify whether the killing stemmed from a personal dispute, political rivalry or another motive.
