Mamata Banerjee pays tribute to Netai firing victims 15 years on

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday paid homage to the nine people, who were shot dead at Netai village in Jhargram district 15 years ago. In a post on X, Banerjee expressed her “humble respects and salutations” to those who lost their lives in the incident of firing, carried out by armed vigilantes, allegedly sheltered by the then-ruling CPI(M). “On this day in 2011, nine innocent people lost their lives in Netai village, Jhargram district, at the hands of the Harmad Bahini. I offer my heartfelt tribute to all those martyrs of Netai,” the chief minister said.

The village, bordering the erstwhile Maoist hotbed Lalgarh in Binpur block and falling under the Jhargram Lok Sabha seat, caught national attention when armed vigilantes, allegedly sheltered by the then-ruling CPI(M), opened fire on villagers, killing four women and five men besides injuring 28 others on January 7, 2011. The slaughter was a fallout of locals resisting demands and alleged tortures of the armed men who had taken shelter inside the house of a local CPI(M) leader, ostensibly to fight the Maoists who had considerable sway in the region during the period. The incident had triggered widespread outrage across West Bengal and became a major political issue ahead of the 2011 assembly elections. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which probed the circumstances leading to the firing and the alleged role of armed groups in the area. Every year, political leaders and local residents observe the day to remember those who were killed in the incident.