Cricket kills: Four deaths in a month

TNN / May 18, 2007, 04:31 IST

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This is the latest in a string of bloody incidents on the cricket pitch that have claimed four lives in a month.

KOLKATA: A 'tournament' of underhand cricket, played by under-15s with a tennis ball is the last place where you would expect trouble, but this week it ended up taking a youth's life and left six others critically injured. The prize money? A princely Rs 300.
This is the latest in a string of bloody incidents on the cricket pitch that have claimed four lives in a month.
On Saturday, children from two Nimta clubs — bitter rivals from neighbouring localities — clashed in the finals.
Nabarun Club won and was given Rs 300 as the prize money. This was the trigger. Members claimed the promised cash prize was Rs 3,000 and that Nabankur Club had forced the organisers to "cheat them". A clash broke out between the teenagers, which was quickly stopped.

On Sunday, adults joined the fight. There were altercations and minor clashes. A police picket was posted at the Nabarun club, but by afternoon, the police were forced to duck for cover as club rivals hurled bombs at each other.
Samir Chakraborty (32) and seven others sustained injuries. Samir struggled for life at RG Kar hospital for four days and died on Thursday. The six others are admitted to different nursing homes at Belghoria. Some residents claim an eighth person, Babu of Nabarun Club, was injured.

Fondly known as Babu in his Uttar Patna locality in Nimta, Samir was an introvert and mostly remained at home. He married in 2004 and has a two-year-old daughter. "I don't know how he could become a target. He never went out to mix with the club boys," said his sister-in-law, Swapna.
"It is unfortunate that a youth has died in the clash. Police pickets have been posted in the area to defuse tension between Nabankur and Nabarun clubs," said North 24-Parganas SP Praveen Kumar.
Samir's death has opened up a pandora's box, with the clash quickly becoming politicised. Some residents claim the rival groups were followers of CPM heavyweights Amitava Nandy and Manas Mukherjee. Several political leaders visited Samir's house on Thursday. Mrinal Das, a local resident, alleged that the police stood by as both sides hurled bombs at each other.

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