Birbhum Violence Death Toll Rises To 9 As Woman With Severe Burn Injuries Dies In Hospital

Birbhum Violence Case: The woman, identified as Najema Bibi, suffered nearly 65 per cent burn injuries in the petrol bomb attack in Bogtui village in Birbhum district last week.

CBI officers in Birbhum district (PTI)

New Delhi: The death toll in the Birbhum violence case rose to nine after a woman who had suffered severe burns died in a hospital on Monday, PTI reported.

The woman, identified as Najema Bibi, had suffered nearly 65 per cent burn injuries in the petrol bomb attack in Bogtui village in Birbhum district last week, a police officer told PTI.

Out of the nine deceased, seven are women and two are children.

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"The woman had nearly 65 per cent burn injuries. Her condition deteriorated last night following which she was put on ventilation in the Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital. She finally succumbed to her injuries this morning," PTI quoted the police officer as saying.

Three persons, including a boy, are still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The CBI, which is probing the Birbhum violence, could not record Najema Bibi's statement on Sunday as her condition was critical, PTI reported.

The CBI team, led by a DIG-rank officer, reached Bogtui on Saturday following an order by the Calcutta High Court and took charge of the investigation. The HC has set a deadline of April 7 to submit its progress report.

On Sunday, CBI sleuths interrogated arrested local Trinamool Congress leader Anarul Hossain and other accused persons.

The charred bodies of eight people, including two children, were recovered on March 21 after a mob allegedly went on a rampage and set houses on fire with petrol bombs in Rampurhat's Bogtui village.

The killings were suspected to be in retaliation to the murder of Trinamool Congress panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh the previous day. The incident spawned likely due to rivalry over illegal sand mining, PTI reported.