A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has granted “default bail” to 15 out of 35 accused individuals related to the violence in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, West Bengal. This decision came after the investigating agency failed to file a charge sheet against them within 90 days of their arrest, with certain conditions imposed by the court.
Earlier this year, violence erupted in Beldanga following the death of a migrant worker from the region in Jharkhand, leading to riot-like situations. Allegations were made by local protesters that the worker was lynched in Jharkhand due to religious and linguistic factors, sparking protests that included blockades of railways and roads in Beldanga.
As tensions escalated, clashes occurred between protesters and security forces when the police attempted to remove the blockades. Subsequently, journalists were attacked by the protesters, resulting in severe injuries. The Jharkhand Police later released a statement based on the postmortem report, categorizing the worker’s death as a suicide.
Yusuf Pathan, a former cricketer turned politician and a local Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, faced criticism for his absence during the unrest in the area. In response, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, petitioned the Calcutta High Court for the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Beldanga and the transfer of the investigation to the NIA.
Following legal proceedings, the Supreme Court supported the Calcutta High Court’s stance, suggesting NIA involvement in the investigation if deemed necessary by the Union Home Minister. Consequently, the NIA initiated an investigation into the matter.
