No fresh violence in Murshidabad but villagers scared
The Statesman | 16 April 2025
Tension in Murshidabad’s Jafrabad area subsided, said police but there were fresh reports of sporadic violence on Monday. While no major incident has been reported, locals claimed that miscreants attacked several homes under the jurisdiction of the local police station. However, the situation was brought under control swiftly by the police and central forces.
In Dhulian, several families fled the area fearing fresh violence. Among them, the Mandal family reportedly left with their children and took shelter in Jharkhand. Many others, too, have left with their possessions, abandoning their homes. Despite this, police sources claimed they have managed to bring back at least 19 displaced persons to their homes in Dhulian. Director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, who is closely monitoring the situation, said that the police are working to regain the trust of the local people and assured that their safety is the responsibility of the state forces. He added that both police and central forces are conducting regular patrols and the situation is “under control.”
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A high-level meeting was held in Murshidabad today between DGP Rajeev Kumar and BSF ADG Ravi Gandhi. Following the meeting, joint deployment of state police and BSF personnel has been set up at key points. Although some shops opened on Monday morning, they were shut again later in the day as fear persisted among locals. BSF’s Eastern Command ADG Ravi Gandhi, who visited the area and took part in a review meeting at Samserganj police station, reiterated that the situation is presently peaceful. “There are currently nine BSF companies deployed in Murshidabad. The situation is under control, but there is still a sense of fear. We are working closely with the state police to maintain law and order,” he said. On the question of infiltration, Gandhi asserted: “The border is secure. There is no infiltration. BSF is a highly trained force and always prioritises border security. Wherever barbed wire is not possible, temporary fencing has been installed, and electronic surveillance has been intensified.”
When asked how long BSF companies would remain in Murshidabad, he replied: “We will stay as long as the state government wants us to. Yesterday, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh has alleged that a section of BSF is aiding outsiders to sneak into Bengal and incite violence. “In areas where violence occurred, there are reports that some attackers were unfamiliar faces and suspected to have been helped by a section of BSF. Locals couldn’t identify them,” he alleged.
Responding to these accusations, ADG Ravi Gandhi firmly denied the claims, saying: “BSF is a professional force and there is no infiltration from across the border. These allegations are baseless.” In Samserganj, where most shops remain shut, central forces reportedly struggled to find food. Local residents stepped in to help. A nearby Kali temple arranged meals of khichdi and vegetables for the BSF personnel. “When we saw they weren’t getting food, we decided to help,” said Ratna Ghosh, a resident involved in the effort. As of now, the situation remains under control, but tense. Authorities continue efforts to restore normalcy and rebuild public confidence in the administration.