CISF personnel 'opened fire in self defence', says EC on Cooch Behar firing

The Election Commission has given a clean-chit to CISF personnel claiming that they opened fire in self defence. The poll panel said the CISF jawan had no alternative but to fire as they were surrounded by a large number of people.

The firing incident had taken place at a polling booth in Sitalkuchi assembly seat in West Bengal's Cooch Behar. Four people were killed and seven injured in the firing incident.

According to a India Today report quoting a press statement released by the Election Commission, the poll panel said that the voting process was going on smoothly at booth number 126 under Sitalkuchi assembly seat. A young boy named Manik Md was sick and was in the premises of the polling booth. Two-three local women were taking care of him. Seeing this, the CISF personnel present inquired about the boy's health. They also asked the locals if they would like to send him to the hospital in a nearby vehicle of the local police.

"However, some other local people thought that the boy was beaten by the CISF personnel, and as a result of such a misunderstanding a few people present there raised hue and cry and assembled nearly 300-350 villagers, including some women with household equipment that could hurt someone brutally," the statement said.

It added that due to this 'misunderstanding', the agitated mob attacked the CISF personnel who were detailed at the polling booth with 'deadly equipment'. Apart from this, the mob allegedly also tried to attack polling officials.

The EC said that in this attack, the CISF personnel and the Home Guard detailed at the polling booth sustained injuries. Following this, they called for reinforcement and the Quick Response Team (QRT) standing near the booth rushed to the spot for their help.

"But the QRT vehicle was also attacked by the unruly mob, and it was damaged severely. On being attacked, CISF personnel fired in open air to disperse the crowd and take control of the situation without causing any injuries to anyone. However, it did not deter the mob. Faced with no other alternative, to save their lives and government property like EVM and other polling materials, the CISF personnel opened fire. As a result, four persons who got bullet injury succumbed to their injuries at the local hospital," the EC statement said.

A reinforcement was called in and the bodies were sent for autopsy at the SD Hospital, Mathabhanga. Meanwhile, the CISF has lodged an FIR at the local police station and the matter will be investigated, the EC said.

The Election Commission had on Saturday ordered to stop the voting exercise at polling station where the incident happened when polling was underway. It had also imposed a 72-hour ban on politicians of all parties from entering West Bengal's Cooch Behar district due to the firing incident.

Polling for the fifth phase of West Bengal's Assembly Elections will be held on April 17.

Source: india.com, indiatoday.in, republicworld.com, livemint.com

Written by Siddhant Sharma