The clash which erupted on a trivial issue of repairing a water pumping machine at Nirdeshkhali market soon snowballed into a fierce fight with the rival groups throwing crude bombs and firing bullets at each other. All the injured have been admitted to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.

According to sources, the pumping machine had been lying defunct for a few days and CPM, which holds control over the gram panchayat, came to repair it on Sunday.

Tension mounted after local RSP supporters started protesting against it and questioned CPM’s authority to carry on the repair work. Locals said that police, which has a camp just close to the spot where clash took place, did not bother to intervene in the beginning.