The West Bengal police have picked up seven people in connection with the assault on Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur.
According to senior police officials, a suo motu case was registered, following which the Sonarpur police formed three specialised teams. The teams conducted overnight raids across the region to track down suspects identified from video footage circulating on social media.
“Five people have been formally arrested and taken into custody, while two others have been detained for questioning. Active raids are still underway. We are thoroughly scanning all available video evidence as the investigation proceeds,” a senior police officer said.
Among the arrested individuals identified by police sources are Nirmala Sengupta, Debasish Dutta, Kajol Das, and Akash Gayen, a local youth. The five arrested suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Baruipur court later Sunday.
The incident occurred Saturday evening when Banerjee travelled to Sonarpur in the South 24 Parganas district to visit the family of a TMC worker who was allegedly killed in post-poll violence.
As his convoy neared the location, Banerjee was met with aggressive demonstrations, including “go back” slogans and black flags. Due to the narrowness of the access road to the worker’s residence, Banerjee’s vehicle could not pass, so he switched to a motorcycle to reach the house.
At this point, the crowd descended upon him. Locals allegedly pulled the MP from the motorcycle, heckled him, chanted “chor, chor” (thief), and pelted him with bricks, shoes, and eggs. Several women also brandished brooms during the protest. State police and central forces quickly intervened to rescue Banerjee from the mob.
Following his rescue, Banerjee was rushed to a nearby private hospital before being transferred to a second private medical facility. He was finally discharged at around 11 pm.
The TMC and Banerjee have alleged that the recent events were preplanned and orchestrated by the BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP claimed it had no involvement in the incident and that it was a spontaneous public response.
Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of pressuring hospitals not to admit Abhishek Banerjee. On the other hand, the BJP alleged that Abhishek Banerjee attempted to be hospitalised to evade a CID summons related to the West Bengal signature forgery case, scheduled for Monday.