Eight people burnt alive after death of village leader in West Bengal, India

At least eight people were burnt alive following the death of a village leader in Rampurhat village of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India.

The incident took place on Monday after Bhadu Sheikh, the deputy village head of Baguti, was attacked with bombs. He was immediately rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

More than seven houses were set ablaze following his death in what is being seen as an act of revenge. He was associated with the state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

"Eight people were killed in the incident. Seven dead bodies were recovered from a single house. One among the three injured died today morning at the hospital," said DGP Manoj Malviya.

Local media reports state that Sheikh was a popular leader and that a mob attacked the houses belonging to the opposition gang. One arrest has been made in connection with Sheikh's murder.

According to fire officials, the bodies could not be identified as they had been completely charred. Local reports claim that the victims of the horrifying violence included children and women.

The incident has created an environment of fear in the village with the villagers ready to leave their houses and refusing to speak about what happened.

"What will the police do now? Can they save us from more attacks? Cops themselves have asked us to vacate homes," an elderly man told The Times of India.

"We will leave the village tonight. Nearly 50 families have already vacated their homes. We are not safe," said Najir Sheikh, the brother-in-law of the deceased leader.

The incident has triggered a political firestorm in the state with the opposition parties and legislators demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement.

Opposition parties have also demanded Banerjee's resignation and the centre's immediate intervention. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also condemned the violence stating that "the state is in a "grip of violence culture and lawlessness."

Meanwhile, the state government has set up a special team to investigate the carnage and eleven arrests have been made so far. Two police officers have also been suspended. The BJP-led Central government has also sought a report on the incident within 72 hours.