Bhangar unrest: 2 villagers killed as police allegedly open fire on them, official denies

According to reports, protesting the erection of a power plant, a large number of villagers started demonstration at three villages, including Machhibhanga, Khamarhait and Padmapukur, under Bhangar assembly constituency area since Tuesday morning.

A large number of police force, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) and combat force, were deployed to the area and when police intervened into the agitation, protesting villagers went violent.

Local villagers reportedly pelted stones aiming at policemen, vandalized several police vehicles and threw those into ponds as police tried to bring the situation under control by restoring to lathicharge and lobbing tear gas shells.

Officials claimed that at least 20 cops were injured after being hit by stones and bricks, thrown by protesters.

At least four protesters were shot when policemen allegedly fired bullets aiming at the villagers and two of the injured died in Kolkata hospitals later.

According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Alamgir and Mofidul Khan.

Meanwhile, state police's ADG (Law & Order), Anuj Sharma, told IBNS: "Outsiders entered the village and fired gunshots at villagers, killing 1 local. Police did not fire a single round bullet."

Earlier in the afternoon, two senior leaders of Trinamool Congress, including Mukul Roy and local MLA Rezzak Mollah, went to the area, but could not enter the villages on boil.

Besides announcing to suspend the project, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strictly instructed the police force to take restrained action against the protesters and not to fire bullets at locals at any situation.

According to sources, state police is suspecting that a large number of outsiders, including Maoists and students of Kolkata's prestigious Jadavpur University (JU), have entered the village and are influencing the turmoil.

Till the latest update came in, no policeman is there inside the area and villagers have blocked all the entry points into those villages.

The problem began in 2013 after Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman and former MLA of Bhangar assembly constituency, Arabul Islam, allegedly acquired 13 acres of land from farmers for Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) to set up a substation of 440/220 KV to transmit power between West Bengal and neighbouring Bihar.

Since last six months, locals have strengthened protests to stop the project and the situation went out of control after police allegedly attacked villagers and ransacked houses few days ago. 

A senior official of state police force confessed that the situation is still out of control.

"Security personnel at a large number are currently waiting outside the unrest areas and the situation has not been brought under control so far," the official told IBNS.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)