According to reports, the clash occurred after a fight over water leakage at a house in a locality in Ranitala. “There was water leaking from the wall of one of the houses in the locality due to which three to four other families in the neighborhood were also affected. The families told the owner of the houses about the problem several times but the issue wasn’t resolved. On Wednesday, the families of the tenants and the house owner got into an argument and later clashed. During their fight, shots were fired and stones were pelted,” said police.
After being alerted, police reached the spot and arrested one person.
The injured received pellet injuries due to the firing and are undergoing treatment at Murshidabad Medical College Hospital, they added.
Sources claimed that the tenants who fired the shots are allegedly linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Local residents also alleged that the incident took place due to political differences, but the police said they suspect personal enmity to be the cause. The TMC, however, has denied the allegations.
“Five persons, including three minors, have been injured in the incident. We are recording statements and a probe is on,” said a police official.
As tension spread in the area after the clash, police units were deployed in the area.
Murshidabad was among the four Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in Bengal on Tuesday. The other three seats were Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin and Jangipur. On Tuesday, polling was largely peaceful in the four constituencies except for sporadic disturbances.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Murshidabad candidate and the party’s state general secretary Mohammed Salim had alleged that TMC activists were preventing voters from entering the booth at Raninagar area in Murshidabad district and lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI). In one of the booths, Salim alleged that he identified a “fake TMC agent” who was later arrested by the police.
“I have no faith in the state police. I’ve called up the Additional SP to assist the voters or I’ll chase the unwanted people obstructing the voters from entering polling booths,” Salim had told reporters. Meanwhile, the TMC had accused the central forces of vandalising the party’s booth office in Mehedipara area of district.