Mamata visits 'carnage' site

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, JAN. 6. The Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, visited Chotoangra village in Midnapore district, scene of the alleged carnage in which 18 party supporters were burnt to death, and demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI).

The State police, investigating the mysterious and so- far unconfirmed deaths, said they had not found any of the bodies despite combing the village and surrounding forests over the past 48 hours.

A National Democratic Alliance(NDA) team comprising Mr. Vijay Goyal (BJP), Mr. Inder Singh (Lok Dal, Chautala), Mr. C. Krishnan (MDMK) Mr. Sanjay Nirupam (Shiv Sena) and Mr. Ponda (BJD) are expected to visit the village tomorrow for a spot assessment.

A team of senior Congress leaders - Messrs. P.R. Das Munshi, MP, Somen Mitra, former PCC president and Mr. Manas Bhuniya, also arrived at the scene. They retrieved and showed to mediapersons what they claimed to be over three dozen spent bullets, a portion of a skull and two human teeth. According to reports from the village, the partially burnt two-storey house of Abdul Rahman Mondal, scene of the ``carnage,'' was thoroughly inspected by the police and political VIPs all through the day.

The State Government sent a report to the Centre, saying a house was gutted in the village, but no body was found.

Ms. Banerjee is scheduled to address a rally here tomorrow to ``mobilise popular opinion'' in support of the Trinamool's long- standing demand for imposition of President's Rule in the State.

PTI adds from Chotoangra:

Ms. Banerjee collected charred human bones and blood- stained clothes belonging to alleged victims at the village to show them to the NDA convenor, Mr. George Fernandes. The villagers handed over bones, clothes and shoes to her.

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