5 more arrested in Beldanga violence case, total held now 36
Times of India | 21 January 2026
Kolkata: Five more people have been arrested in connection with the recent unrest in Beldanga, taking the total number of arrests to 36, police officials said. The arrested persons were identified as Noor Alam, Robiul Islam, Noor Alam Molla, Ladim Sheikh and Tufail Sheikh. Superintendent of police Kumar Sunny Raj said the suspects were identified through CCTV footage and videos circulated on social media platforms, including Facebook Live streams.
All five were produced in court on Tuesday. While three were remanded in police custody, the court sent the other two in judicial custody.
The arrests followed raids conducted on Monday by the district police and the Murshidabad cybercrime division. Investigators said two of the accused were identified from live broadcasts on Facebook, while three were traced through videos uploaded on their own social media accounts. The cybercrime division has collected over 1,600 video clips.
SP Raj said the identification and arrest process would continue, adding that cops were probing whether the violence involved any planned provocation. Additional SP Majid Iqbal said all those involved would be traced and face strict legal action.
Beldanga and parts of Rejinagar have remained calm since Sunday. Shops and markets reopened on Monday, with normal movement resumed by Tuesday. Police deployment, route marches and patrols continued.