Bengal police have arranged round-the-clock security for Mihilal Sheikh and his family members, who shifted from Bogtui following the massacre on March 21.
“We have provided round-the-clock security to the family as they are eyewitnesses.... It has also been decided that when the family members step out for some personal work, police will guard them,” said Dhiman Mitra, the sub-divisional police officer of Rampurhat.
Mihilal and his family members are currently at a relative’s house in Kumadda, around 600 meters from Bogtui,
Sources in the district police said the safety of Mihilal and his family had become their paramount concern as they had come very near to the spot of the carnage.
“The family is still in a state of panic... We think the presence of policemen around them will help them lead a normal life,” added the officer.
Mihilal had lost seven of his family members, including his wife and eight-year-old daughter, in the March 21 carnage in Bogtui after the death of Bhadu Sheikh, the Trinamul deputy chief of the local gram panchayat.
Mihilal and their family members on Wednesday morning reached Kumadda after a week of exile at a relative’s house in Sainthia.
As soon as they reached, a police team headed by SDPO Mitra reached Kumadda village and spoke to Mihilal, who expressed concerns about the security of his family.
According to police, Mihilal told them that he had to visit banks and other government offices as all their documents got gutted in the fire.
“They said that they needed to deposit the cheques they received from the chief minister in the bank as they needed money to survive,” said a police source.
The SDPO assured them that escorts would accompany them whenever they needed to step out of their relative's home in Kumadda.
Senior officials, however, said that despite receiving money from the government, the victim’s families cannot start repairing their burnt houses immediately.
“They have to wait for a few more days as the burnt houses are still sealed by the CBI,” said a source.
