Prime accused in Khadikul bomb explosion Bhanu Bag succumbs to injuries 

Krishnapada Bag, the prime accused in the Khadikul bomb explosion that claimed nine lives, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Friday

Krishnapada Bag alias Bhanu Bag, the prime accused in the Khadikul bomb explosion that claimed nine lives, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Friday. The accused had sustained about 70% burn injuries and had fled the explosion site on May 16. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal police had arrested him from Cuttack in Odisha where he was also admitted to a health facility.

The accused’s son Pritwijit Bag, and nephew Indrajit Bag, who allegedly helped him to flee the explosion site have also been arrested. They were produced before a court in Purba Medinipur on Thursday and remanded to eight days of police custody.

Also read | Women trapped in bomb-making ‘cottage industry’ in West Bengal’s Khadikul 

Nine persons including five women were among those who died in the explosion at an illegal cracker manufacturing shed at Khadikul village in Egra I block of Purba Medinipur district. The village that was rocked by a massive explosion on May 16 remains in a state of shock with several young children losing their parents. The bomb disposal squad of the CID is still collecting material from the site of the explosion. Villagers including family members of the victim have alleged that in the garb of an illegal cracker unit, crude bombs were manufactured at the site and that was the reason why the blast ripped off the entire structure.

Meanwhile the West Bengal police took to Twitter and warned people against circulating a fake video of Khadikul blast. “Some media channels and social media are promoting this video as the incident of Khadiqul blast in Egra. Actually this is the scene of Puram festival in Kerala. #WBP appeals to all to refrain from spreading fake news. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against violators,” the West Bengal police tweeted from its official handle.

 In a related development, violence erupted on Thursday evening during a rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) town to protest against the explosion at Bhagwanpur area of the district when crude bombs were allegedly hurled on the rally in which seven persons including the BJP MLA from Bhagwanpur Rabindranath Maity were injured. The BJP leadership claimed that Trinamool Congress supporters were behind the attack. Trinamool Congress alleged that the personnel of central armed security force deployed to give protection to the BJP MLA opened fire injuring one Trinamool supporter.