Child injured during 2021 post-poll violence dies after five-year health battle in Canning

An eight-year-old child who was allegedly injured during post-poll violence following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections has died after battling health complications for nearly five years. The incident has once again drawn attention to the violence that erupted in several parts of the state after the election results were declared. The deceased child was identified as Debjit Saha from Mithakhali village under Canning police station in South 24 Parganas district.

According to allegations made by the Bharatiya Janata Party, violence broke out in the area on May 2, 2021, immediately after the Assembly election results were announced. BJP worker Arjun Saha was allegedly assaulted and his house vandalised during the unrest. The BJP also claimed that Debjit, who was around three years old at the time, was attacked during the violence.

Family members and local BJP leaders alleged that following the incident, the child developed a severe throat infection and had been undergoing treatment at different hospitals for several years. Debjit reportedly died on Saturday night after his health condition deteriorated. After receiving information about the death, a BJP delegation led by local leader Pabitra Patra visited the family in Canning.

Reacting to the incident, BJP’s Canning-I Mandal vice-president Pinki Mondal accused the then ruling party of involvement and demanded strict punishment for those responsible. She stated that all accused persons connected to the incident should face justice. The BJP described the child’s death as a consequence of the violence that followed the 2021 Assembly election results.

The Trinamool Congress denied the allegations made by the BJP. Canning West MLA Paresh Ram Das described the child’s death as tragic and inhuman but called for a proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case. He stated that a fair probe was necessary and questioned how a three-year-old child could have been targeted because his father was associated with the BJP.