Expressing Condolences Over Birbhum's Murder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Demanded That The Perpetrators Not Be Pardoned.

Bogtui: Eight people were killed in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Bogtui village in Birbhum district in violence hours after a deputy village head linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was killed. Expressing condolences over Birbhum's murder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanded that the perpetrators not be pardoned.

Addressing a virtual event inaugurating a gallery dedicated to freedom fighters at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata, Modi said the Center would extend all support to bring criminals to justice.

A series of incidents in which a deputy chief was killed in the village of Bogtui in West Bengal's Birbhum district erupted on Monday evening, attacking and setting fire to at least eight houses in the area, killing eight people, including women and children. Police said they had filed two FIRs - one for the murder of Deputy Pradhan Bhadu Sheikh and the other for attacks on houses. Eleven people have been arrested in the second case.

When it was said that it was a rivalry between the two groups, the incident resonated in New Delhi and Kolkata and the Union Home Ministry sought a report from the state government and Governor Jagdeep Dhankar summoned the Chief Secretary. The state government has appointed a special investigation team. The BJP walked out of the state assembly in protest of the deteriorating law and order situation.

Police said Pradhan Bhadu Sheikh, 38, a deputy with the ruling Trinamool Congress, was standing near Bogotoui Cross on Monday evening when four men on two motorcycles hurled unarmed bombs at him. Sheikh was rushed to a government hospital in Rampurhat block but died on the way.

Hours later, a group of houses, including the homes of Fatiq Sheikh and Sona Sheikh's relatives - two of the accused in Bhadu's murder are now in hiding - were attacked and set on fire, killing eight people. The bodies of the victims have not been identified yet, but police said the dead included women and children. Only Meena Bibi, the wife of the accused Fatiq Sheikh, who succumbed to her injuries at the burn hospital, has been identified so far.

On Tuesday morning, a large crowd had gathered to offer condolences on the death of Bhadu Sheikh. There were burnt houses, including relatives of Sona Sheikh, whose body was found across the narrow passage of Bhadu's house.

The villagers and family members allege that it was Sona and Fatiq who killed Bhadu, all of whom were friends and party colleagues but Bhadu split because of his political and economic influence. With the assassination of Bhadu's brother Babur Sheikh on January 5 last year, their fierce rivalry took a new turn. "My brother Sona Sheikh, Fatiq Sheikh and the other accused all worked for the Trinamool Congress.