Birbhum: ‘Women, kids huddled in a room, but were still set on fire’

The family members also alleged that ten of their kin were killed on Monday night, and not eight as claimed by the police and that even those eight bodies were not handed over to them but buried by police late on Tuesday night in the village.

On Wednesday, an officer from Birbhum Police said that ten of the 20 people arrested in the case “have been remanded to police custody while the others have been sent to judicial custody”. “The accused will be interrogated as the investigation proceeds,” the officer said. They have been charged under several IPC sections, including murder, attempt to murder and arson.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, the High Court directed the police to submit a detailed report on the incident by 2 pm Thursday.

According to the police and local residents, the killings were triggered by the murder of Bhadu Sheikh, the deputy pradhan, in Rampurhat on Monday evening, leading to at least eight houses in the area being attacked and set on fire.

“Our family members, women and children, our daughter and son-in-law who visited us, had all huddled in a room, which was the strongest in the house. But they still set it on fire, and all of them died. Our family is finished and only ashes remain. We are not in a condition to talk,” Mihilal Sheikh, who said he had lost seven members of his family in the attack, told The Indian Express over phone.

According to Mihilal, those who were killed included his wife Roushanara Bibi and his eight-year-old daughter Omnehani Khatun; his mother Noor Nehar Bibi and his sister Rupali Bibi; his brother’s wife Jehanara Bibi, their daughter Marjina and her husband Kaji Sajidur Rehman. Mihilal’s account is yet to be officially corroborated.

Omnehani, who was called Tuli, was a Class 5 student in the Rampurhat girls’ school. Marjina had married Sajidur, who hails from Nanur in Birbhum, in January this year, and the couple had reached Bogtui on Monday.

“Sajidur and Marjina had called on Monday afternoon to say they had reached. At night, my son called his friend to say there was trouble and asked him to call the police for help. I tried to call my son but could not reach him. In the morning, I heard they were dead. I want those responsible to be hanged,” said Sajidur’s father Kaji Nurul Jamal.

With most of the bodies charred beyond recognition, the only victim whose identity has been officially confirmed so far is Meena Bibi.

“Meena Bibi is the wife of Fatikh Sheikh, who is a distant relative. She was in an adjacent house with their two grandchildren Surjya Sheikh and Akash Sheikh, aged 4 and 6. While Meena succumbed to her injuries in hospital, there is no trace of the children. Where did they go? Or, where did their bodies go?” asked Mihilal, a small-time businessman who also owns some land in the area.

Recalling the sequence of events that led to the killings, Mihilal, who is now staying with his in-laws outside the village, said the attackers first ransacked their house.

“I was standing outside the house on Monday evening, when I heard people saying that the deputy pradhan had been murdered. Everyone panicked. Later, we heard the sound of (crude) bombs inside the village. Our family members hid inside the room and locked it. As the bombs fell near my home, I could not go inside but hid in the back with my brother Banirul,” he said.

“The youths ransacked our house and then targeted the room where our family members were. We saw them trying to break open the door. We heard screams. Then, we saw the fire. I think my family members were first killed and then set on fire. But I cannot be sure,” said Mihilal.

Mihilal’s brother disputed the police version, and allegations levelled by the slain TMC leader’s family, which had accused Mihilal, his brother-in-law Sona and Fatikh of killing him. “He is a TMC deputy pradhan and leader in the village. We are just supporters of TMC. We cannot imagine doing such a thing. I had no enmity with him,” said Banirul.

Both of them accused TMC block president Anarul Hossain of masterminding the attack. When contacted, Hossain denied the allegation and said it was “baseless”.

Mihilal and Banirul also alleged that the police did not take their permission to bury the eight bodies in the village late on Tuesday. “We could not contact the District Magistrate. But the police should have handed over the bodies to us. Instead, we learnt that they buried them at night in the village. This is unacceptable,” said Mihilal.

Birbhum SP Nagendra Tripathi did not respond to multiple calls from The Indian Express seeking comment on the allegations. Sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the incident said a forensic team has visited the spot and collected samples.

On Wednesday, several Opposition leaders, including a BJP delegation, visited the area. Chief Minister Banerjee is expected to reach the site on Thursday.