Sabitri Mitra, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Manikchak in Malda district and a former minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, alleged that an attempt was made on her life on Saturday night.
The TMC lawmaker said that around 10pm on Saturday night, an SUV coming from the opposite direction hit her vehicle while she was returning to her residence at Sadar Ghat in Englishbazar town from Manikchak after an event.
“At a place near Dharampur on the Malda-Manikchak state highway, an SUV came speeding from an opposite direction and hit my SUV,” said Mitra, adding that two of her aides and her security guard were in her car.
The TMC MLA alleged that the SUV again returned to “attack” her car.
“As we continued our way towards Malda town, my driver noticed from the rearview mirror that the SUV was chasing us,” said Mitra.
She alleged that the SUV then “pushed” her vehicle toward a truck coming from the opposite direction.
“My driver, however, managed to manoeuver to safety,” said Mitra.
The driver then parked Mitra’s vehicle on the highway, the legislator recounted.
“Thereafter, the other SUV fled from the scene at breakneck speed,” she added.
Mitra stated that they had somehow managed to note down the registration number of the SUV when they were “attacked” for the first time.
“The registration number has been provided to the police. The SUV that attacked me was packed with unidentified persons,” Mitra said.
The MLA said that after contacting Manikchak and Englishbazar police stations, she was escorted home by cops.
“I have been in politics for the last 43 years. My experience says it was a deliberate attempt to kill me. I am shivering even while thinking of the incident,” Mitra, now in her early 60s, added.
Sanjay Ghosh, the inspector-in-charge of Englishbazar police station, went to the MLA’s residence to seek details of the incident.
A senior police officer said an investigation had been started to trace the “attacker” SUV.
Malda district has recently been making headlines for attacks on politicians.
On January 2, Malda TMC district vice-president Dulal Sarkar was shot dead in Englishbazar near his plywood factory. On January 14, a local TMC leader was injured during a factional attack in Kaliachak and a party worker was murdered in the
same incident.