3 improvised launchers, sacks of gunpowder seized near TMC leader’s home in Goghat

Police recovered three improvised “hand cannons” and sacks filled with gunpowder from bushes near the residence of a Trinamool Congress leader in Goghat on Thursday, triggering tension in the area. The recovery took place in Jhariya under Paschimpara Panchayat, around 500 metres from the residence of Farid Khan, the TMC president of the Paschimpara region and a functionary of the Goghat-II Panchayat Samiti.

According to reports, Goghat police recovered the improvised launchers from bushes during an operation in the area. Police also dug up sacks containing gunpowder from the ground near the recovery site. Investigators have started examining how the devices were manufactured and who was responsible for storing them in the area.

The BJP alleged that the weapons had been stockpiled by the TMC to spread terror in the region. BJP workers claimed the improvised launchers resembled mortar-style devices often seen during the Israel-Palestine conflict and alleged that the weapons could have been used for political violence. Local BJP leaders also accused Farid Khan and his brother of intimidation and extortion in the area over the past 15 years. The Trinamool Congress did not issue any response to the allegations at the time of reporting.

The recovery created panic across Goghat after news of the weapons spread through the area. Large crowds gathered near the spot following the recovery operation. Police and central forces were deployed in the locality to prevent any untoward incident amid heightened political tension following allegations of post-election violence in several parts of the state.