The family members of the 13-year-old girl who died in a crude bomb explosion in Nadia district on Monday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday. The explosion took place during what residents claimed as victory celebrations by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers following the Kaliganj by-election result.
The Class 4 student died after sustaining injuries from a “socket bomb” allegedly hurled at her house. Her family identifies as CPI(M) supporters and alleges the attack was politically motivated.
“I saw who threw the bombs. Even if we don’t know their names, we know their faces—they are all Trinamool (supporters),” her mother told mediapersons. “This cannot be a celebration. Which minister has asked to kill an innocent child in the name of celebrating victory? This was a targeted attack.”
The Krishnanagar police confirmed on X on Tuesday that four accused — Adar Sheikh, who is a TMC worker, and his family members Manowar Sheikh, Kalu Sheikh, and Anwar Sheikh — were arrested on Monday. The case has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 103 (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 118(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191(2) and 191(3) (rioting), and 305 (theft), along with provisions under the Explosive Substances Act.
Speaking to mediapersons, SP Amarnath K of Krishnanagar said, “Some splinters hit the girl. We are investigating the incident. Prima facie, local rivalry, with an aim to establish control in the area, appears to be the reason behind the incident. A similar case took place in 2023 when a police officer was injured.”
The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken suo motu cognizance of the case. Chairperson Tulika Das stated that the commission has sought a report from the police within two days. “This is an extremely painful and unfortunate incident. An innocent child has lost her life. We will not tolerate this. Once we receive the report, the commission will take strict action,” she said. Das added, “If those who won are responsible, this is a black spot on their victory. If those who lost are behind it, they have lost the faith of the people along with the election.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar condemned the incident and accused the TMC of failing to maintain law and order. “The by-election was held in a Muslim-majority constituency with 57% Muslim voters. It was known that TMC would win. Despite this, an innocent Muslim girl was killed. This shows what the TMC thinks of them,” he said. “If people are losing lives in an electoral process of a democracy, then it is not democracy.”
TMC’s winning candidate from Kaliganj, Alifa Ahmed, also condemned the incident. “A day before, I had sent a message asking people not to celebrate in a way that could hurt anyone. I never imagined such an incident could happen. This is unacceptable. The police and administration must ensure strict punishment for the culprits, regardless of political affiliation,” she said.