Shot by Tripura jawan,CPM worker dies

The preliminary inquiry conducted by the South 24-Parganas police has revealed that Sandip Sharma,a jawan of Tripura State Rifles,had opened fire at a CPM activist at a polling booth at Patuli during the May 30 civic polls without any provocation.

The preliminary inquiry conducted by the South 24-Parganas police has revealed that Sandip Sharma,a jawan of Tripura State Rifles,had opened fire at a CPM activist at a polling booth at Patuli during the May 30 civic polls without any provocation. The victim,Bapi Dhar,who was shot in the leg,died this morning following excessive bleeding.

DGP Bhupinder Singh said there was no immediate provocation to open fire at the polling station at Mahendranath Girls High School at Patuli. According to the report submitted by the SP,there was no cause for firing. Now since Bapi has died,we have started cases under Sections 302,304 and 306 of the IPC. The jawan will be brought here and may be arrested, he said.

The incident took place when Dhar,along with his friend,was entering the polling station to cast his vote at 3 pm.

Two FIRs,one by Dhars family and the other by the state police,have been registered.

Meanwhile,IG (law and order) Surajit Purakayastha said according to the version of a state police inspector present at the time of the incident,the firing took place following a scuffle between the jawan and Bapi and some other people. The inspector said he heard a commotion outside the polling booth. Whe he came out,he saw some people throwing stones. He also saw a scuffle between the jawan and some CPM supporters, the IG said.

He said the police have got the statement of the jawan recorded and it is being examined.

South 24-Parganas SP M L Meena said it was not clear why Sharma fired a single round when there was no tension at the polling station. Meena has recommended a magisterial inquiry.

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In Delhi,Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today reiterated what she had earlier said about the incident being a result of CPMs internal feud. All deaths are unfortunate. But Bapi was a party cadre and he was a victim of partys internal feud. It was a policeman from Tripura,which is ruled by the Left,who shot Dhar in the leg. I cant understand how a person could die with a bullet injury on the leg, she said.

Meanwhile,CPM state secretary Biman Bose said the jawan opened fire without any reasonble ground.

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