Authorities on Thursday imposed Section 144 in Bhatpara and Jagatdal areas of North 24 Parganas district, following clashes between two groups that left one dead and three injured, PTI reported.
According to reports, bombs were hurled and several rounds of bullets fired in the air by the members of the two warring groups near the newly-constructed Bhatpara Police Station, which was inaugurated by the home secretary earlier in the day.
The deceased has been identified as Rambabu Shaw, while the details of those injured in the incident were yet to be ascertained, a police officer said.
"My husband went out of the house on hearing about a disruption. He was hit by a bullet on his head," IANS quoted the victim's wife as saying.
"Some anti-social and criminal elements have been active in some pockets of these areas. Some outsider elements have also joined the local anti-social elements in disrupting the normalcy and government finds these developments as seriously exceptional," ANI quoted Alapan Bandhopadhay, Home Secretary, as saying.
"Sanjay Singh, IPS, ADG, South Bengal is given particular charge of the Barrackpore P0olice Commissionerate with immediate effect. ADG in charge of Barrackpore Commissionerate is rushing to the spot. Section 144 of the CrPC is being promulgated in Bhatpara and Jagatdal police station areas for restoring order in these localities immediately," Bandhopadhay added.
The West Bengal government has taken a serious note of the situation in certain areas under the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, including Bhatpara, which has witnessed a series of clashes since May 19, when bypoll was held in the Assembly constituency.
BJP MP Arjun Singh claimed that the victim was shot in the head.
"Since I am in Delhi, the police has allowed some Trinamool activists to do all this. They are mute witness to looting and violence over the last three days. They are giving free hand to them (Trinamool activists) and the total game-plan has been hatched by the police. Seven people have been shot and the deceased was shot in his head," Singh said, according to IANS.
On the other hand, Trinamool leader Madan Mitra pointed out that Bhatpara has been witnessing violence for over a month.
"It is sad that Arjun Singh said that the person died after being shot by the police while the officers have said that they fired the bullets in the air," Mitra said.
"BJP is surrounded by the politics of violence. Even if the administration tries to control the situation, they are targeting those officers who are risking their lives to restore peace in the area."
(With inputs from Agencies)
