Diamond Harbour, Dec. 16: A 1,000-strong mob vandalised the house of Khonra Badsa in Diamond Harbour yesterday and demolished a liquor den of the hooch kingpin nearby.
If you are unaware of the latest news make sure you go through Breaking News and Hot News.
The toll from spurious liquor today rose to 166.
The villagers barged into the empty house around 8pm and broke furniture in 10 rooms. They threw almirahs and furniture outside and set ablaze a portion from the one-storey house in Belondapur village. They shouted slogans like “arrest the murderer without delay”.
The mob also ransacked an eatery owned by one of Badsa’s two sons, Aziz, half a kilometre from the house and near Mograhat railway station.
Police said Badsa, 51, had fled with his wife and sons hours after people started dying in the spurious liquor on Wednesday night. Eyewitnesses said the personnel posted at the Kalikapur police outpost, a stone’s throw from Badsa’s house, “ran away” yesterday fearing an attack through the villagers.
Law enforcement said Noor Islam alias Badsa got the moniker Khonra (lame) because he had lost his right leg inside a bomb duel with rivals in 1992.
“We wish to avenge the deaths of so many people. Badsa is a murderer. We want law enforcement to arrest him immediately,” said Fatema Bibi, who was part of the mob. She alleged that Badsa had links using the CPM. “We were always suspicious of his activities. He used to return home riding pillion on the bike of 1 of his aides every evening. We're able to not say anything due to his links using the CPM,” said Fatema, 35, who lives inside a house opposite Badsa’s.
Khonra Badsa. (Picture courtesy: NDTV)
Farmer Rahim Alam alleged that Badsa had sided with Trinamul following the Assembly elections. “He changed his political allegiance so that he could carry on with his shady business. You want to know why law enforcement are not arresting him. We don’t believe that law enforcement do not know his whereabouts. They're in cahoots with him,” Alam, 35, alleged.
A Trinamul general secretary denied the charge that Badsa had links with his party. “The CPM has launched an incorrect campaign to malign us. We would like Badsa to become arrested,” he said.
L.N. Meena, law enforcement chief of South 24-Parganas, said 12 people had been arrested so far. “But Badsa is still at large.” Meena said the villagers had lodged an FIR against Badsa and five others with Mograhat police station today. “This may be the first time we have got a particular complaint against Badsa,” he added.
The excise department today suspended its officer in charge of Diamond Harbour sub-division, Radheshyam Pande, for “not carrying out regular raids on illicit liquor dens”. He was replaced by Abhijit Halder, who had been earlier posted in Kakdwip.
The police and excise officials today demolished nearly 80 liquor dens across five blocks in Diamond Harbour.
N.S. Nigam, the district magistrate of South 24-Parganas, said at Writers’ Buildings that the viscera reports of the hooch victims had revealed an advanced of methyl alcohol, a poisonous substance. “The methyl alcohol content was 60 per cent, far above the limit of 25 %,” he explained.
If you are unaware of the latest news make sure you go through Breaking News and Hot News.
Post-mortem has been conducted on all 166 bodies, assistant chief medical officer of health Uma Prasanna Ghosal said. He said 76 everyone was still in hospital.
If you are unaware of the latest news make sure you go through Breaking News and Hot News.
The toll from spurious liquor today rose to 166.
The villagers barged into the empty house around 8pm and broke furniture in 10 rooms. They threw almirahs and furniture outside and set ablaze a portion from the one-storey house in Belondapur village. They shouted slogans like “arrest the murderer without delay”.
The mob also ransacked an eatery owned by one of Badsa’s two sons, Aziz, half a kilometre from the house and near Mograhat railway station.
Police said Badsa, 51, had fled with his wife and sons hours after people started dying in the spurious liquor on Wednesday night. Eyewitnesses said the personnel posted at the Kalikapur police outpost, a stone’s throw from Badsa’s house, “ran away” yesterday fearing an attack through the villagers.
Law enforcement said Noor Islam alias Badsa got the moniker Khonra (lame) because he had lost his right leg inside a bomb duel with rivals in 1992.
“We wish to avenge the deaths of so many people. Badsa is a murderer. We want law enforcement to arrest him immediately,” said Fatema Bibi, who was part of the mob. She alleged that Badsa had links using the CPM. “We were always suspicious of his activities. He used to return home riding pillion on the bike of 1 of his aides every evening. We're able to not say anything due to his links using the CPM,” said Fatema, 35, who lives inside a house opposite Badsa’s.
Khonra Badsa. (Picture courtesy: NDTV)
Farmer Rahim Alam alleged that Badsa had sided with Trinamul following the Assembly elections. “He changed his political allegiance so that he could carry on with his shady business. You want to know why law enforcement are not arresting him. We don’t believe that law enforcement do not know his whereabouts. They're in cahoots with him,” Alam, 35, alleged.
A Trinamul general secretary denied the charge that Badsa had links with his party. “The CPM has launched an incorrect campaign to malign us. We would like Badsa to become arrested,” he said.
L.N. Meena, law enforcement chief of South 24-Parganas, said 12 people had been arrested so far. “But Badsa is still at large.” Meena said the villagers had lodged an FIR against Badsa and five others with Mograhat police station today. “This may be the first time we have got a particular complaint against Badsa,” he added.
The excise department today suspended its officer in charge of Diamond Harbour sub-division, Radheshyam Pande, for “not carrying out regular raids on illicit liquor dens”. He was replaced by Abhijit Halder, who had been earlier posted in Kakdwip.
The police and excise officials today demolished nearly 80 liquor dens across five blocks in Diamond Harbour.
N.S. Nigam, the district magistrate of South 24-Parganas, said at Writers’ Buildings that the viscera reports of the hooch victims had revealed an advanced of methyl alcohol, a poisonous substance. “The methyl alcohol content was 60 per cent, far above the limit of 25 %,” he explained.
If you are unaware of the latest news make sure you go through Breaking News and Hot News.
Post-mortem has been conducted on all 166 bodies, assistant chief medical officer of health Uma Prasanna Ghosal said. He said 76 everyone was still in hospital.
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