Birbhum:
Three people including a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader were shot dead at different places in Dubrajpur area of Birbhum district within a span of two hours today, police sources said.
Golam Saber Kaderi was shot dead from point blank range by four people when near National Highway-60 at Dubrajpur area of the district, police sources said.
Within two hours of him being shot dead, TMC leader Anisur Rehman and primary school teacher and one of his friends Khokon Sarkar were shot dead by miscreants at Gopalpur under Kharasole police station area of the district, the sources said.
Anisur was riding a motorcycle with Khokhan when some miscreants stopped them and shot them from point blank range, they said.
Dubrajpur area is the coal belt of Birbhum district and coal mafia is active in the area.
The local people alleged that all the three deaths were related to coal disputes but the police refused to comment.
Some sources say that the deaths were the result of factional fights within the Trinamool but there was no confirmation from official sources.