Dhulian Municipality vice chairman's grandfather dies in shop fire; Police rules out link to violence

Tensions flared in Dhulian after a fire broke out at a cosmetics shop belonging to the grandfather of Sumit Sahar, the Vice Chairman of Dhulian Municipality. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, when residents noticed smoke billowing from the shop and rushed to the scene to control the blaze.

Eyewitnesses and nearby residents allege foul play, claiming that the fire did not originate from a short circuit or technical fault. According to them, the flames were deliberately set through the shop’s front gate. Given the large amount of flammable materials stored inside, the fire spread rapidly, gutting much of the shop before it could be extinguished with the help of locals.

Police arrived at the location following the alert, but Jangipur police officials have maintained that the fire was not linked to any ongoing communal tensions in the area. They issued a formal statement asserting that the preliminary investigation shows no communal or political motive behind the blaze.

Despite this, political tensions continue to escalate. Opposition leader and BJP MLA Shuvendu Adhikari has moved the High Court after being denied permission by the police to visit Dhulian. His legal representative argued that leaders from other political parties have already visited the area, and that denying Shuvendu’s visit is unjust.

According to court sources, the matter is likely to be heard before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh later today. The outcome of this hearing could influence the political narrative surrounding the incident in the coming days. Meanwhile, the municipality has yet to release an official statement, and Sumit Sahar has remained unavailable for comment. Residents continue to speculate about the motive, with some demanding a thorough investigation and CCTV footage analysis to identify the culprits.