Lok Sabha elections: Poll violence in West Bengal claims three lives, 576 injured

Poll violence has so far claimed three lives in West Bengal and left 576 persons injured in 653 incidents, the Election Commission said today.

While one person lost his life in Nadia district late last month, the second death took place at Jalangi in Murshidabad district early this month, followed by the third death in Birbhum recently, OSD in CEO's office, Amit Roy Chowdhury said here.

He said in a statewide drive against illegal arms and ammunition ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, huge quantity of illegal arms and weapons and cartridges were seized.

Roy Chowdhury said the list of seizures also included over 200 kg of explosive material and about 6,000 bombs. Four arms manufacturing units have also been sealed.

Over 30,000 licensed arms were deposited, while over 3,000 such arms were impounded and license of 176 others cancelled.

Nearly 53,000 non-bailable warrants have been executed with about 22,000 NBW cases pending, the OSD said.

The Income Tax department has so far seized about Rs 5.80 crore unaccounted money in several cases. Smuggled gold worth Rs 2.82 crore was also seized.

The Excise department has so far seized 3.7 lakh bulk litres of illicit liquor valued at Rs 3.17 crore, he added.