Eleven-year-old Tamanna Khatun, who was killed in a bomb attack allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters in Nadia’s Plassey on Monday, was laid to rest on Tuesday, with her grieving parents demanding a CBI probe into their daughter’s death and declaring they had lost all faith in the state police.

The bomb that killed the child was allegedly a part of the TMC’s Kaliganj bypoll victory celebrations.

Tamanna’s parents — homemaker Sabina Seikh and migrant labourer Hossain Seikh, who came back from Odisha on Tuesday — vowed to pursue every possible course of action to ensure that their daughter’s killers faced the harshest possible punishment.

“The initial reaction of the police was good. But it won’t last long. Once the protests die down, everything will go back to what it was. Our daughter would not have been killed if the police hadn’t remained indifferent and acted on time. We had been facing repeated threats and attacks from the Trinamool for being CPM supporters,” said an inconsolable Sabina.

She alleged that for over a decade, goons patronised by the TMC unleashed a reign of terror in the area, emboldened by police inaction.

“Even police officers weren’t spared by these goons. Yet the administration did little to restore confidence among people who want to live peacefully, no matter what their political beliefs,” she added, explaining why she had no faith in the state police and wanted a CBI inquiry.

Tamanna Khatun

Her husband Hossain echoed her sentiments, questioning the credibility of the police and vowing to do everything in his power to get justice for his daughter.

“I want a CBI inquiry so that nothing remains uncovered and no one is spared. I don’t trust the police. I will knock on every door for justice for my daughter,” said Hossain, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Krishnanagar police have so far arrested four key accused out of the 24 named in the FIR. Local sources confirmed that all four are TMC activists.

They were produced at a Krishnanagar court on Tuesday, which remanded them in police custody for six days.

The quartet have been charged with several offences, including murder and criminal conspiracy.

On Monday, Tamanna was killed when a socket bomb allegedly thrown by Trinamool supporters hit her as she was standing in her courtyard with her mother.

Her mortal remains were handed over to her family on Tuesday afternoon after an autopsy in Krishnanagar.

When the hearse reached Plassey, villagers turned out in large numbers in a funeral procession, which included state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar and former CPM MP Alokesh Das. CPM supporters, carrying party flags, accompanied the body from Plassey railway gate to Tamanna’s home.

As Tamanna’s body was put to rest in the evening, the simmering anger among those who turned out for the child’s funeral was palpable.

The police were missing in action on Monday, but a large police force had been deployed in the area on Tuesday to maintain peace.

Tamanna’s uncle Saheb Seikh claimed that the actual target of the attack was his brother, Mosadul Sheikh, a prominent CPM activist.

“The goons had specifically come looking for Mosadul. When they didn’t find him, they hurled bombs indiscriminately. Tamanna was killed in the process,” he said.

“They even tried to kill me with bombs. I managed to escape. I had warned them not to throw bombs since children were playing, but they didn’t listen. They fled after throwing socket bombs directly into Tamanna’s chest,” he added.

Seeking justice for the girl and her family, a CPM delegation, led by Alokesh Das, Rama Biswas, S.M. Sadi and Mrinal Biswas, submitted a memorandum to the Krishnanagar SP, demanding the arrest of all 24 accused named in the FIR.

“Along with the arrests, we have also demanded the recovery of all arms from the area, which has turned into a den of criminals,” Das told The Telegraph.

The CPM students’ wing SFI has called a strike in Kaliganj block on Thursday. They have urged students to wear black badges in protest and demand justice for Tamanna.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also stepped in, seeking a report on the Kaliganj incident within 72 hours.

Its chairperson, Archana Majumdar, visited the victim’s home and questioned police failure to recover the bombs.

“Maybe this incident will be forgotten in a few days. But a mother has lost the greatest treasure of her life for no fault of her own. What was the police intelligence doing?” she demanded, directing her questions to SP Amarnath K.

The SP said all possible efforts were being made to track down the remaining accused and that raids were being conducted to recover illegal arms.

Reacting to the incident, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “This is a highly condemnable incident. The chief minister took prompt action. Police are doing their best and have already arrested four accused. The police should not look at political colour and must impart strong lessons to the guilty.”

However, BJP state general secretary and Asansol MLA, Agnimitra Paul, questioned the chief minister’s intent, pointing out that Mamata Banerjee remained silent on the issue in the Assembly on Tuesday.

“You (chief minister) should have gone to Kaliganj, where your people killed the little girl, Tamanna Khatun. However, you did not utter a single word in the Assembly about the brutal incident. You should have apologised for Tamanna Khatun’s murder on the floor of the House,” Paul said.