The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has assumed control of the investigation into the recent violence in Murshidabad’s Beldanga area. This move coincided with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to West Bengal. The violence erupted following the death of a migrant worker from West Bengal in Jharkhand.
The protests in Beldanga on January 16 led to street blockades, disrupting traffic on the national highway. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to restore order and arrested 36 individuals, including a leader of the AIMIM party. The Calcutta High Court allowed the NIA probe and deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel in the area until normalcy is fully restored.
The High Court directed the state government to effectively utilize the CAPF in troubled areas and ordered the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Murshidabad to ensure the security of lives and property. The court’s decision followed a PIL filed by the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, seeking central forces’ deployment and an NIA investigation.
