Two people were killed in separate alleged gunfights in West Bengal within 12 hours, according to First Alo. The deaths have drawn public attention after relatives of the deceased disputed the circumstances, with Anandabazar Patrika reporting on the families' reactions.
In one case, in Gaighata, the sister of a woman killed in what was described as an encounter said she did not believe her sibling was involved in the matter, telling Anandabazar Patrika that the young woman used to cause trouble at their brother's shop. The report quotes the brother's disbelief at the account of her death.
In Naihati, the mother of a man named Prahlad was seen weeping while holding an NCC uniform to her chest, Anandabazar Patrika reported. She recalled that as a child he had said he wanted to become a policeman, and said he was killed by police gunfire. The headline quotes her words about that childhood ambition ending in the bullets of the force he had hoped to join.
The reports do not provide further details on the sequence of events in either case, and no independent account of the shootings is given in the material available.
The deaths have also prompted political comment. ABP Ananda reported that Ratna Debnath commented on the Gaighata incident, saying she supports the encounter and referring to people who treat women as commodities.
What to watch next: whether authorities release official statements on the two shootings and whether the families' accounts prompt any inquiry.
