Jadavpur University professor's house attacked, another child beaten up

Kolkata: "Who's going to protect you after the elections? What will happen after the central forces and the Election Commission leave?" These questions, which Trinamool leaders have repeated ad nauseam before the elections, came back to haunt opposition workers in North 24-Parganas and Howrah a day after the CPM and Congress leaders 6 hip crowd at the "peaceful polls" and Trinamool leaders railed against the "central forces' santrash (terror)".

At the receiving end were a Jadavpur University professor, who had "dared" to act as a CPM poll agent in North 24Parganas, and -yet again -a child who wouldn't be voting even in the next general elections. The eight-year-old girl was injured when she tried to flee an attack on her home by Trinamool men, who were angry that CPM supporters defied their warning and stepped out to vote. Homes of CPM poll agents were torched in Amta constituency. Late on Monday night, a bike gang attacked the New-Barrackpore house of Priti Ku mar Roy, a mathematics professor at JU, who had served as polling agent of North Dum Dum CPM candidate Tanmoy Bhattacharya.

Locals say Roy incurred the wrath of Trinamool because he had thwarted several false voters in booth no 7 in New Barrackpore High School. A few hours after voting ended, a group of 10 to 12 bikers arrived tried to break down the door of his two-storied house in Masunda, New Barrackpore. The door held, and the gang hurled bricks at the house.

"They broke the padlock and pried open the gates but couldn't break down the door. In frustration, they started brickbatting and smashed all the window panes. I feared an attempt on my life and locked myself in. My elderly mother too panicked and I was concerned for her," Roy said, adding: "It was an act of desperation. They are scared of losing and they can feel that popular perception is against them." He called police immediately but "they took some time to arrive as a neighbour's home was attacked too".

CPM candidate Tanmoy Bhattacharya - who was injured in an alleged Trinamool attack on Monday -went to Roy's house along with former MP Tarit Topdar on Tuesday morning and escorted him to New Barrackpore police station, where a complaint was filed.Till late Tuesday, no one had been arrested although Roy named one of the attackers, a local.

Trinamool workers seem to be following up on their leadership's repeated threats of settling scores "after the central forces leave".

In Dum Dum, the house of Shyamapada Das, polling agent of CPM was attacked."They broke a CCTV camera installed. My wife escaped with minor injury. Local Trinamool leader Babu Nandi was the mastermind," added the victim. He has filed a complaint with police but none has been arrested. In Baranagar's Gopal Lal Thakur Road, CPM supporter Sohail Khan was beaten by alleged Trinamool men and his house was ransacked and looted on Monday.

In Deganga, the shop of a Congress leader was set ablaze by alleged Trinamool supporters and in Hingalganj, CPM activist Palash Bairagi was stabbed by some goons on Tuesday afternoon. He is in critical condition in Basirhat hospital. The CPM alleged that a "criminal turned Trinamool leader" Babu Master masterminded that attack.Trinamool later accused CPM goons of torching houses of two party supporters in Bhatora and Panitrash in Amta.