Three killed, one injured in firing in West Bengal

Three persons were shot dead and another person seriously injured today after a gang of armed assailants fired on workers at a building construction site at Asansol Court More in Burdwan district, police said.

The incident took place this morning when 12 miscreants arrived at the site and started firing indiscriminately, in which builder Lakhan Yadav(45), his personal security guard and a construction worker were killed on the spot, they said.

A police picket has been set up in the area and the border with Jharkhand and Bihar sealed to prevent escape of the culprits, believed to be members of a coal mafia, they said.

In the State secretariat in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters that strong action would be taken against those involved in the incident.

Condemning the incident which she described as ‘most unfortunate’, Ms. Banerjee said it took place because of alleged differences over construction of a building.

“After a meeting with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP and ADG (law and Order), a high level probe has been ordered and strict action will be taken against the culprits,” she said.

“We have information that the coal mafia are active in the area and their activity will not be tolerated. If any one else is found involved in the incident, he will not be spared,” Ms. Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister said that SP, Burdwan, had reached the spot along with IGP and they had been asked to seal the border so that the culprits cannot flee to either Jharkhand or Bihar.

“The police have been directed to arrest the culprits at any cost. A red alert has been sounded in the adjacent sensitive areas in the entire coal belt,” she said.

Ms. Banerjee announced compensation of Rs two lakh for the kin of the each killed in the firing and treatment of the injured at government cost.

Law Minister Moloy Ghatak and Union Minister of state for Railway Mukul Roy had rushed to the spot, she said.

The Chief Minister said that she had also talked to the mayor of Asansol who is on the spot.

Though it is a scattered incident, these would henceforth be dealt with seriously. “If intention is clear, any target can be achieved,” she said.

“They were never treated seriously earlier,” Ms. Banerjee said, adding that police infrastructure would be revamped with a major master plan in the coal belt.