Goons cut off farmers' ears over land dispute

MALDA: A gang reportedly severed the ears of two farmers on Friday as punishment for working on a disputed piece of land at Aragachhi village in Malda. While the victims claimed themselves to be CPM supporters, Trinamool Congress-backed goons were held responsible for the attack. The farmers were hospitalized and had to undergo surgery. Police, however, claimed that the farmers sustained injury but their ears were not cut off.
The plot in question belonged to Dhar Santhal of neighbouring village Shimultala who had leased it out to farmers Ashok Roy and Satish Hansda. On Friday morning, Roy and Hansda were tilling the land with a tractor when one Sunil Hembram barged into the plot and tried to stall the tilling process. Soon a scuffle broke out between the two, following which Hembram and his associates left.
At around 9pm, a group of 10-12 persons attacked Roy's house. Armed with sickle and rods, the gang not only attacked the people in the house, but also cut off Roy's ear with the sickle. Ashok Roy's father, Ashutosh said, "In the dark, I managed to recognize Sunil and Gopesh. When the villagers rushed on hearing my cry, the miscreants fled." Roy was taken to Malda district hospital on Friday night and operated upon on Saturday morning.
After injuring Roy, the miscreants attacked Hansda's house. He was roughed up and his ear too was severed. Hansda was admitted to Habibpur Health Centre.
Blaming the Trinamool Congress for the attack, Roy's father said, "We have been CPM supporters for long. Satish Hansda and his family are CPM supporters as well. But those who attacked us belonged to Trinamool Congress, though earlier they were with BJP. Thus, the attack was politically motivated." Locals claimed that Trinamool Congress-backed goons were trying to grab agricultural land in Habibpur for the last few months.
District TMC president Sabitri Mitra was not available for her comment on this issue. However, Ambar Mitra, district CPM secretary, conceded that the victims were their supporters. "We are not sure who attacked them but Trinamool Congress-backed goons are forcefully trying to uproot many small farmers from their land in this area."
Trinamool Congress leader Amlan Bhaduri, however, denied the allegations. "It is purely a land dispute and nothing to do with politics. Trinamool's name is being forcibly dragged into it," said Bhaduri.
Additional SP Shyam Sing said, "Police from Habibpur police station raided the village. There was no political clash. Rather, it was a land dispute." Sing also claimed that the farmers' ears were not severed, but they were injured.