Bengal: Newly Elected TMC Panchayat Member Shot Dead In South 24 Parganas

A newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat member was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Friday night, reported PTI. Another person who was accompanying the panchayat member also sustained injuries and was admitted to the hospital.

Four people have been arrested in connection to the murder. Police have launched an investigation into the case.

Police are also examining if the incident was due to political rivalry or personal enmity.

The incident occurred when the Magrahat East gram panchayat member Maimur Gharami was returning home late on Friday night. 

The unidentified gunmen opened fire on him and also stabbed him with a sharp object, reported PTI.

Shahjahan Molla, a man accompanying Gharami, was also shot at by the gunmen. The two victims were first taken to Magrahat rural hospital and later to Diamond Harbour Government Medical College and Hospital.

At the hospital, Gharami was declared brought dead. Police said Molla was undergoing treatment. 

"The deceased was an elected gram panchayat member from Arjunpur in Magrahat (east) block of South 24 Parganas district. He recently had a feud with some local anti-social elements. The killing is probably the fallout of that," sub-divisional police officer Mitun De told IANS.

The Trinamool Congress swept the recently concluded three-tier panchayat elections in the state, winning all the 20 zilla parishads in the state.

In the other two tiers of the panchayat system, the ruling party won nearly 80% (2,641 of the total 3,317) gram panchayats and 92% (313 of the total 341) panchayat samitis.

The Bengal panchayat elections held on July 8 and 10 (repolling) were marked by massive violence that included bombing, shooting, and murders. As many as 33 people were killed between June 8, when the panchayat elections were announced, and July 8 (polling day), with more than 60 per cent of the overall fatalities belonging to the TMC. As many as 18 murders were recorded on July 8. Another seven murders were reported in the next three days.