A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said “we will find out the original culprits”, responsible for the recent violence in the Murshidabad district, the West Bengal police on Thursday formed an Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident.
According to the state police sources a nine-member SIT team, led by Shantanu Chowdhury, Additional Police Superintendent of Intelligence Branch (IB) has been formed. The other eight officers include: Bijay Yadav (DSP, CIF), Koushik Ghosh (DSP, CID), Ashim Mondol (Inspector, CID), Rajarshi Dutta(Inspector, Traffic headquarter), Anupam Chakraborty (Inspector, CID), Tanmay Ghosh (Inspector, CID), Tuhin Das (Inspector, CID) and Sudipta De (IC-Cyber), Sundarban Police district.
Claiming that the recent violence in Murshidabad during the Waqf law protest was “pre-planned”, CM Banerjee on Wednesday had alleged that the BSF, central agencies, and the BJP orchestrated tension in the district by facilitating outsiders and enabling people from Bangladesh to enter the state.
“I came across news quoting the Home Ministry sources claiming the role of elements from across the border during Murshidabad clashes. Is it not the role of the BSF to guard the border? The BSF is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The state government does not guard the international border. The central government can’t evade responsibility,” the CM said at a meeting with religious leaders in Kolkata.
“We will find out the original culprits. We know how the BSF used some persons, especially minor boys, giving them Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000,” the chief minister said and added that the chief secretary has been told to probe the role of the border force.
West Bengal police have already arrested two persons who are directly involved in the murder of the father-son duo, in the violence-hit Samserganj area of Murshidabad district. Last Friday, Chandan Das (40) and his father Hargobind Das (70) were hacked to death by a mob as protests in West Bengal against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent in Murshidabad district.
The father and son were among the three killed in the violence and at least 15 policemen were injured. Later, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of Central Armed Forces in the affected areas. According to the state government, over 220 people have been arrested so far.