Volleyball Tournament in Malda, Bengal, Kicks Off with Gunfire; FIR Filed
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Synopsis
Tension surged in Malda, Bengal, when volleyball tournament organizers began the event with celebratory gunfire, leading to police action and FIRs against four individuals. Concerns were raised over safety as children were present during the incident, which has drawn attention amidst recent violence in the region.
Key Takeaways
- Gunfire used to inaugurate a volleyball tournament in Malda.
- Local police confiscated guns and filed FIRs under the Arms Act.
- Four organizers identified in the shooting incident.
- Local legislator downplays the incident, emphasizing need for permission.
- Concerns raised over safety due to children’s presence.
Kolkata, Jan 24 (NationPress) Tension escalated in the Manikchak region of West Bengal's Malda district on Friday when the organizers of a volleyball tournament commenced the event by firing from double-barrel guns into the air. The incident reportedly took place on Thursday, and a video of the event went viral in the morning.
Following the video's circulation, local police swiftly intervened and confiscated the double-barrel guns used for the gunfire. However, at the time this report was filed, no arrests had been made. FIRs have been lodged under the Arms Act, 1959, against the four organizers who appeared in the clip.
The individuals identified in connection with this incident are A Khan Chowdhury, Md Aminur Rahman Khan, Md Bhaktawar Khan, and Mansur Ahmed Khan.
On Friday, Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the police superintendent of Malda district, issued a statement explaining that while all four guns employed in the incident were properly licensed, the manner of their public usage violated the Arms Act. "This is why the four guns have been confiscated by the police and FIRs have been registered against the four individuals depicted in the video, who discharged the guns at the tournament's inauguration," he stated.
Meanwhile, local Trinamool Congress legislator from Manikchak, Sabitri Mitra, attempted to minimize the event's seriousness, asserting that the four individuals identified in the video had fired in the air out of emotion. She added, "I acknowledge that their actions were inappropriate. They should have sought permission before firing."
Khagen Murmu, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Maladaha (Uttar), expressed concern that numerous school children were present during the volleyball tournament's inauguration, and any misfire could have led to a significant incident. He also questioned why the district police were unaware of such an event beforehand.
This incident holds particular importance as there have been two recent instances this month in Malda district where two Trinamool Congress leaders were shot dead in broad daylight on the streets, reportedly by armed miscreants associated with a rival faction within the ruling party.
