Senior police officers rushed to the spot, the East Midnapore superintendent of police S  Panda was quoted by the local media as saying.

The BUPC is backed by the Trinamool Congress. The party's block level leaders have alleged that two women were raped in Adhikaripara village in Nandigram when CPI (M) supporters raided the village with the intent of looting it in the wee hours of Saturday leading to the clash. Local reports said that local CPI (M) leaders have rubbished the charge and said that on the contrary Trinamool Congress activists had raided the houses of their supporters.

 

Nandigram has been witnessing sporadic trouble and on Friday, the Nandigram police station was gheraoed by Trinamool Congress supporters after three party men were arrested on charges of a killing a CPI(M) member of the Panchayat Samity in 2007.

Nandigram continues to grab headlines even 15 months after violence erupted in the area over the Left Front government's decision to acquire land for a chemical hub. The BUPC was formed overnight with the support of the Trinamool Congress to take on CPI (M) cadres rooting for the government.

 

Things spiraled out of control when the police opened fire on March last year to quell a violent mob killing 14 people. Supporters of opposing political parties took up arms to protect their areas leading to clashes which carried on for 11 months. Maoists entered the strife torn area adding a new twist to the already bloody turf war. Many were killed till armed Marxist cadres forcibly "recaptured" Nandigram with the police looking the other way in November last year. The chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee made a faux pas when he said the opposition “had been paid back in their coin.” He later apologised for his thoughtless comment.

 

The government abandoned plans to have a chemical hub in Nandigram having made a mess of things with Bhattacharjee reiterating that land would not be acquired anywhere in West Bengal without the consent of the people.