1 dead, 10 hurt in bull attack at Raiganj Puja carnival
Times of India | 9 October 2022
KOLKATA: A 60-year-old man was killed and 10 others injured in an attack by a bull that wreaked havoc in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district during a state-organised Durga Puja event to mark UNESCO's cultural heritage tag, police said on Saturday.
Sadhan Karmakar, the president of Bharat Sevak Sangha, was walking in a procession along with the tableau of his Durga Puja committee in Raiganj on Friday evening when the bull, which was brought in to pull the tableau of another puja committee, attacked him from behind, they said.
The bull pinned him down to the ground and trampled on him, they added.
He died of excessive blood loss while undergoing treatment at the Raiganj superspeciality hospital, local MLA Krishna Kalyani said.
Most of those injured were wounded in the melee that followed the incident, police said.
To celebrate the UNESCO honour, the West Bengal government organised such processions, named carnival, in every district headquarters town of the state on Friday with top Durga Puja committees of the area showcasing their idols and craftsmanship before going for immersions.
The Anushilani Club brought to the programme a bullock cart on which the idol was showcased.
"It is a freak incident. We are saddened by the tragic death. He was rushed to the hospital almost immediately but due to excessive blood loss, we could not save him," said Kalyani, who returned to the TMC after winning the Raiganj seat on a BJP ticket in last year's election.
A huge number of people had gathered to see the tableaux of the district's top 30 Durga Puja committees and the incident that happened at the fag end of the programme triggered a panic.
Those injured were undergoing treatment, police said.
Kalyani announced Rs 2 lakh for Karmakar's kin, but his family blamed the district administration for allowing bulls at the programme.
"I demand punishment of those responsible," Karmakar's daughter told reporters, demanding an investigation.