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Tribune News Service
Kolkata, May 16
The death toll in Monday’s panchayat poll violence in West Bengal has risen to 22 with the recovery of the body of a presiding officer. One person was killed in re-polling at 572 booths on Wednesday.
Rajkumar Roy, an English teacher at Karandighi in Uttar Dinajpur district, was the presiding officer at the polling booth in Sonarpur primary school, Etahar. Roy, father of two, reportedly disappeared on Monday afternoon and his mutilated body was found near the railway tracks at Sonadangi, near Raiganj, on Tuesday evening.
Roy’s family alleged he was kidnapped from the polling booth and later killed. He reportedly lost contact with the family after 2 pm. The state government has asked the CID to probe the murder. Opposition CPM alleged that the teacher was killed because he did not allow malpractice at his booth.
A demonstration was held near the SDO office at Raiganj on Wednesday in protest against the murder. Footwear were thrown at the SDO for failing to protect the poll official. Government sources claimed members of CPM-affiliated All Bengal Teachers Association were behind the protest.
A Trinamool Congress supporter died at Goalpokhar in Uttar Dinajpur district on Wednesday after violence was reported during re-polling at 572 booths in 19 districts.
In Malda’s Ratua, unidentified people fled with the ballot box, while at Amdanga in North 24-Parganas district, a mob assaulted a sub-divisional police officer for allegedly not making adequate security arrangements at the centre. Re-polling was held in booths where trouble was reported on Monday. Counting of votes will take place on Thursday.
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