Two shot dead in West Bengal

No major communal flare-ups in State

Despite apprehensions of clashes given the overlap of Durga Puja and Muharram, West Bengal has remained largely peaceful over the past few days.

Only one incident of violence was reported on Friday in South 24 Paraganas, when two members of a minority community, including a woman, were allegedly shot dead.

Three booked

The incident took place in the Sarberia village in South 24 Parganas’ Basanti block. “There is a communal angle to the incident, and two persons have died. FIRs have been lodged against three people, among whom one has been arrested,” a senior district police official told The Hindu .

According to locals, the woman died on the spot, while the other victim died of injuries in a State-run hospital in the city on Sunday.

Several large Muharram processions were taken out in Kolkata and other districts on Sunday. No clashes were reported. Processions were taken out in minority-dominated areas of the city including, parts of Park Circus in central Kolkata, Rajabzar in north-central Kolkata and Kidderpore in the central-west part of the city.

Processions were also taken out in Metiaburuz in the South 24 Paraganas district. The city's main arterial road C R Avenue was blocked for many hours.

“Strong police arrangements have been made. The situation is peaceful,” Additional Director General of West Bengal Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma told The Hindu .

Very few immersions

Meanwhile, a day after Vijayadashami, Babughat, one of key places for idol immersion in the city, wore a deserted look with very few idols being immersed till late in the evening. “Till evening very few idols have come for immersion today,” a police official said.

Following the Calcutta High Court’s order staying the State government’s notification imposing restrictions on Durga idol immersions, Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya had said permission for immersion would be granted as per the “judgment of the State government”.