Blood continued to spill in Nandigram as four people, suspected to be CPM workers, were killed at Sherkhan Chowk in a bomb explosion that also left four injured.

In another incident, the convoy carrying Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who was on a visit to the area, was fired upon at Gokulnagar near Tekhali bridge, after which Trinamool workers blocked rail and road traffic across the state. Surprisingly, Mamata’s pilot car was not with her convoy at the time of the incident.

While the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirod Committee alleged that the four were killed while they were making crude bombs, the CPM alleged they were killed by BUPC supporters who hurled bombs at them at a relief camp.

While three persons were killed on the spot, one succumbed to injuries later. The other four were admitted to Kamarda hospital at Khejuri.

Around 10 am, BUPC supporters set the zonal committee office of CPM at Nandigram on fire. They also laid siege to the Nandigram Police Station, as a result of which police could not come outside, and blocked the road with stones and branches at Haripur to obstruct the movement of police. A bridge at Tengua was also damaged and the road there was dug up to cut off communication.

The CPM has called for a 12-hour Khejuri bandh on Monday.

Tension was palpable in the afternoon as the convoy carrying Mamata halted at Gakulnagar near Ekhali bridge for more than two hours because of firing from Khejuri. A few bullets landed near her vehicle and as a result her convoy could not cross the bridge. As she failed to proceed further, she came back to Contai at around 6 pm.

... contd.