• 13-yr-old girl killed in bomb blast in Kaliganj
    Times of India | 24 June 2025
  • Kaliganj (Nadia): A 13-year-old girl standing outside her home with her mother was killed in a crude bomb blast in Molandi area of Kaliganj's Bara Chandghar village on Monday.Tamanna's mother, Sabina Yasmin, said a Trinamool Congress victory procession was passing by the house — before counting of bypoll votes had ended — when socket bombs were hurled in their direction.Witnesses said one of the bombs exploded near Tamanna, a Class 4 student and daughter of a CPM supporter, killing her on the spot. Aktar Sk, who was named by Sabina in her FIR, was arrested and police have launched a manhunt for other suspects.Krishnanagar SP Amarnath K, along with senior police officers, went to the spot and spoke to Sabina. "Prima facie, it appears that bomb splinters could have led to the death. One FIR-named accused has been arrested. We have identified more suspects," he told reporters. "There was a clash in this spot in 2023 in which the local OC was hurt," the SP added.Sabina said: "My daughter never leaves my side. She does not even go out to play. She sleeps with her head on my hand. She was holding my hand today when there was a sudden loud noise. My daughter was thrown to one side while I fell to the other. When I got up, one side of me was burning. Then I saw Tamanna lying there."Blaming Trinamool for her child's death, Sabina said: "They did this because we didn't vote for them."CM Mamata Banerjee immediately assured strong action against the perpetrators. In a post on X, she said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened at the death of a young girl in an explosion at Barochandgar in Krishnanagar police district. My prayers and thoughts are with the family in their hour of grief. Police shall take strong and decisive legal action against the culprits at the earliest."Bengal Police, in a statement, said: "Raids are on in full swing to arrest those responsible for this extremely unfortunate death. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family members of the deceased."Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal told mediapersons that he had asked for a report on the incident. Questioned about victory processions, he said the CEO's office was not informed of permission for such rallies, approval was sought from district police or the district magistrate. "I have already requested a report, what happened is extremely unfortunate," he added.BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said: "TMC's celebration ends with blood on its hands. Again. From TMC's victory rally in Muslim-majority Kaliganj bypoll, bombs were hurled, and in the chaos, a little girl—Tamanna Khatun, a Class 4 student—was killed. Let that sink in. A child. Murdered. While TMC danced to the tune of their ‘victory'."Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "What happened is a criminal act and will be punished. There are clear and unambiguous instructions by the state to the police that none should be spared. However, it also needs to be probed whether any overzealous person did it or there was a hidden agenda to malign Trinamool Congress."
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