PANDUA : A 13-year-old boy was killed and two of his friends critically injured in a blast at Pandua in Bengal’s Hooghly district on Monday when they mistook a crude bomb for a ball, hours before a rally of TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee in the area, reports Falguni Banerjee.
While BJP and TMC initially began a blame game, each accusing the other of stocking explosives ahead of the May 20 LS election, cops clarified later the bomb was targeted at the father of one of boys and arrested his ex-wife. The blast took place around 8.30am when Class VI student Raj Biswas was playing with Rupam Ballabh (11) and Sourav Chowdhury (12) beside a pond in the backyard of Rupam’s home in Pandua Netaji Colony.
Blast triggers TMC-BJP political clash in Bengal
Locals rushed the children to hospital, where Raj was declared dead on arrival. The other two were shifted to a bigger hospital in Chinsurah town with severe injuries to their hands and legs.
Family members said Raj hailed from neighbouring Burdwan and had been on a visit to his maternal uncle’s home in Pandua for summer vacation.
“We have received a complaint from the parents against two persons and have arrested one of them, Rita Ballabh. A search is on for the other and we are trying to ascertain where they got hold of the explosives and with what intent,” Hooghly Rural SP Kamanasish Sen said.
Rupam’s father Sukhdeb Ballabh alleged the bomb was planted by his ex-wife and her boyfriend, who he claimed was a criminal in Bihar. “The bomb was meant for me. We are divorced but my former wife and her boyfriend want to kill me. Their act has killed an innocent boy. My son is also fighting for his life,” said Sukhdeb.
The blast’s timing ahead of Abhishek’s rally in the zone ignited political sparks. BJP blocked the nearby GT Road and demanded an NIA probe. “I visited this area two days ago and got a great response. TMC sensed it and stockpiled bombs to create disruptions,” said BJP Hooghly LS candidate Locket Chatterjee, who also visited Raj’s home. TMC district chief Asima Patra hit back. “Chatterjee herself said she visited this area two days ago with outsiders. Hence, it is clear who could have brought the bombs,” Patra said.
While BJP and TMC initially began a blame game, each accusing the other of stocking explosives ahead of the May 20 LS election, cops clarified later the bomb was targeted at the father of one of boys and arrested his ex-wife. The blast took place around 8.30am when Class VI student Raj Biswas was playing with Rupam Ballabh (11) and Sourav Chowdhury (12) beside a pond in the backyard of Rupam’s home in Pandua Netaji Colony.
Blast triggers TMC-BJP political clash in Bengal
Locals rushed the children to hospital, where Raj was declared dead on arrival. The other two were shifted to a bigger hospital in Chinsurah town with severe injuries to their hands and legs.
Family members said Raj hailed from neighbouring Burdwan and had been on a visit to his maternal uncle’s home in Pandua for summer vacation.
“We have received a complaint from the parents against two persons and have arrested one of them, Rita Ballabh. A search is on for the other and we are trying to ascertain where they got hold of the explosives and with what intent,” Hooghly Rural SP Kamanasish Sen said.
Rupam’s father Sukhdeb Ballabh alleged the bomb was planted by his ex-wife and her boyfriend, who he claimed was a criminal in Bihar. “The bomb was meant for me. We are divorced but my former wife and her boyfriend want to kill me. Their act has killed an innocent boy. My son is also fighting for his life,” said Sukhdeb.
The blast’s timing ahead of Abhishek’s rally in the zone ignited political sparks. BJP blocked the nearby GT Road and demanded an NIA probe. “I visited this area two days ago and got a great response. TMC sensed it and stockpiled bombs to create disruptions,” said BJP Hooghly LS candidate Locket Chatterjee, who also visited Raj’s home. TMC district chief Asima Patra hit back. “Chatterjee herself said she visited this area two days ago with outsiders. Hence, it is clear who could have brought the bombs,” Patra said.
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