Another person, the main accused in connection with the alleged lynching of a 22-year-old man in West Bengal’s Malda district, has been arrested, police said on Saturday. With the arrest of the prime accused, the number of persons arrested in the case went up to four, the police said. The victim, Sanaul Sheikh, was assaulted, allegedly by some locals at Baishnabnagar Bazar on June 26, after he was found stealing a bike. The police had started a case following a complaint lodged by his mother.
“Bappa Ghosh, the main accused in the Baishnabnagar lynching case, has been arrested at Pakur in Jharkhand,” the Superintendent of Police of Malda district, Alok Rajoria, said. A purported video of the attack had gone viral and some of the culprits were identified on the basis of it. Two accused were arrested on June 30 and another was arrested on July 3. Mr. Sheikh was initially taken to the Bedrabad Primary Health Centre, from where he was referred to the Malda Medical College and Hospital. He was later shifted to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where he died on June 29.
Not abating
Meanwhile, the ongoing violence between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is showing no signs abating. In one incident in the Tangra area in central Kolkata on Saturday, both TMC and BJP activists were injured following rounds of stone pelting. The BJP alleged that TMC leaders took “cut money” (kickbacks) to sell off public land to private builders. TMC denied the allegation.
Incidents of low intensity violence were also reported from Howrah district and Budge Budge in South 24 Paraganas. In another incident in the Kandi block in Murshidabad, communal violence broke out on Saturday afternoon. While tension prevails, the situation was quickly brought under control by the local administration. Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code prohibiting assembly has been imposed.
[ With Agency inputs .]
