‘Assure help, hope state takes action against culprits’: PM on Birbhum violence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the violence which broke out in West Bengal’s Birbhum district a day ago, killing eight people.

Modi also hoped that the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government would take strict action against the culprits as he assured help from the Union government in booking the culprits.

“I express my condolences over Birbhum violence. Whatever help is needed to book culprits, I assure all possible help from Centre to State. I hope state govt takes strict action against culprits, & those who encourage such criminals should not be forgiven too,” news agency ANI quoted Modi as saying while speaking virtually at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.

Eight persons, including children, were burnt to death after a few houses were set on fire following the killing of a TMC panchayat leader at Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday late night.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also assured strict action against those responsible for the violence and said action will be taken “irrespective of their (political) colours”. She will also be visiting the violence-torn district on Thursday to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court took a suo motu cognisance of the violence and directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL) to collect evidence samples from the crime scene and protect eyewitnesses.

The Court also asked the state government to file a report in the case before it by 2pm Thursday, when the matter will be taken up for hearing again.

The bench, also comprising justice R Bharadwaj, directed a team of CFSL in Delhi to visit the spot and collect samples for examination without any delay.