Hooghly, 20 May (H.S.): Gurap police arrested three local leaders of the All India Trinamool Congress in connection with alleged post-poll violence, vandalism and intimidation following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to police sources, a team from Gurap Police Station under the Hooghly Rural Police conducted a raid in Nedampur village on Tuesday night and arrested the accused identified as Samrat Mallick, Raju Dhara and Robin Bag.

The three accused were produced before the Chinsurah court on Wednesday with a prayer for police custody.

Police sources said that after the declaration of the 2021 Assembly election results, allegations surfaced against the three leaders for allegedly attacking BJP workers and supporters in Nedampur village. The allegations include vandalising houses, assaulting residents, looting property and issuing death threats.

It was further alleged that due to the atmosphere of fear prevailing in the area at that time, the affected BJP workers and supporters could not immediately lodge formal complaints with the local police station.

Later, in the aftermath of reports of post-poll violence in Bengal, a team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited the area and submitted a report. Based on that report, police initiated an investigation into the incident.

Sources said the administration subsequently registered a suo motu case and contacted the affected families. The arrests were made after members of the victim families recently lodged fresh written complaints with the police station on Tuesday night.

The arrests have triggered fresh political tension in the Gurap area.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey