A woman who had suffered burns in the petrol bomb attack in Bogtui village in Birbhum district last week died in a hospital on Monday, raising the toll to nine, a police officer said.
The Birbhum killings also spawned violence in Bengal's legislature, with legislators of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party exchanging fisticuffs over heated arguments on Birbhum killings, prompting the speaker to suspend five saffron party MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
Out of the nine deceased, seven are women and two are children.
"The woman, Najema Bibi, who died today, had nearly 65 per cent burn injuries. Her condition deteriorated last night following which she was put on ventilation in the Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital. She finally succumbed to her injuries this morning," the police officer said.
Three persons, including a boy, are still undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
The Central Bureau of Investigation probing the case could not record Najema Bibi's statement on Sunday, when its sleuths visited the hospital, as her condition was critical, a CBI officers told PTI.
Some eight people were burnt to death in the early hours of March 21, after unknown assailants attacked some 10 houses in Bogtui village near Rampurhat with petrol bombs setting them on fire. The attack is suspected to have been planned as a revenge for the murder of a local TMC leader with its roots in rivalry over illegal sand mining.
