Four people were killed in West Bengal‘s Cooch Behar on Saturday during voting for assembly elections after CISF opened fire in Sitalkuchi on coming under attack, reports PTI quoting a senior police official. The state is voting in 8 phases to elect a new Assembly in one of the most keenly-fought elections where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is directly pitted against the BJP.

“As per preliminary reports, four persons were killed as CISF personnel opened fire after coming under attack in a village. A scuffle took place and locals gheraoed them and attempted to snatch their rifles, following which the central forces opened fire. Further details are awaited,” the police officer said.

Also ReadBabul Supriyo: From banker to musician and politician

Election officials have sought a report on the incident.

Condemning the violence, PM Narendra Modi said, “What happened in Cooch Behar is very saddening. My sympathies are with the families of those who died, I condole their demise.”

Meanwhile, calling the incident a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee said, “CRPF has shot dead 4 people in Sitalkuchi (Cooch Behar) today. There was another death in the morning. CRPF is not my enemy but there’s a conspiracy going around under the instruction of Home Minister and today’s incident is a proof.” 

Central forces are routinely deployed for election duties in states. Around 125 companies of central forces are stationed in West Bengal to ensure peace in the state prone to electoral violence. According to EC, 60 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 25 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) and five companies each of the CIS) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are on poll duty in the state.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident of violence, an 18-year-old first-time voter was shot dead by unidentified persons outside a polling booth in the same assembly constituency around 8 am on Saturday. 

In Hooghly district, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee and media vehicles were attacked during the fourth phase polling.