Kolkata, 19 April (H.S.): A total of 315 people have been arrested so far in connection with the recent communal violence that erupted in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district over protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Among those arrested, two are minors. Most of the arrested individuals remain in custody, with only the two minors released on bail so far.
According to the West Bengal Police, a total of 1,257 internet links (URLs) used to spread misinformation and incite unrest have been blocked in connection with the violence.
The police report states that the violence first broke out on April 8 during a protest at the PWD ground under Raghunathganj Police Station. The protest, initially peaceful, turned violent by afternoon, with the crowd attacking police personnel and damaging public property. The miscreants were reportedly armed with deadly weapons and even snatched arms from on-duty police officers.
The report further notes that the district intelligence branch had prior information about potential unrest scheduled for April 11 following Jumma prayers at various locations including Umarpur (Raghunathganj PS), Sajur More (Suti PS), and Old Dakbangalow More (Samserganj PS). The mention of “local people” in the report contradicts the earlier claim made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state government, which blamed “outsiders” for the violence.
On April 12, a mob reportedly gathered near a mosque in Ghoshpara under Samserganj Police Station and specifically targeted Hindu households. The next day, another mob assembled near Kanchantala Mosque and attempted further attacks on Hindu families in the same locality.
Meanwhile, the special division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, had ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) on the evening of April 12. The bench observed that the steps taken by the state government to curb the communal unrest were inadequate. The court also remarked that had the CAPF been deployed earlier, the situation might not have escalated to such a grave and volatile extent.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
