Over 48 hours have elapsed since the early Monday morning murder of prominent Trinamul leader Saifuddin Laskar in Joynagar's Bamungachi but police appear to be in the dark about the motive.
To add to the confusion of the police, the three other suspected killers who managed to flee after the murder have not been nabbed.
The police have also not been able to nab Musibur Rahaman, the owner of one motorcycle used by the assailants.
The police have also failed to arrest any person in connection with the arson and violence that erupted in the nearby Daluikhaki-Laskarpara village after the murder.
A senior police officer of Baruipur police district, who is looking into the investigation, said: “We have got some leads and are quite optimistic about unravelling the mystery behind the murder very soon.”
Superintendent of Baruipur police district Palash Chandra Dhali said: “All-out efforts are being made to solve the mystery behind the murder. Investigation is on and it would be too early to comment anything now”.
Sources said the sleuths had come to know about the suspected involvement of two persons following the interrogation of Shaharul Seikh, an informer who was arrested earlier.
On the way to Baruipur court on Tuesday, Shaharul told reporters about the involvement of one “Nasir Halder” and “Baro Bhai”, but their actual identity could not be ascertained so far by the sleuths.
Police sources said Shaharul claimed that Nasir, a resident of Mandirbazar, works as a scrap seller in Calcutta. Sleuths, however, have yet to corroborate his claim and his possible link with the murder. A police team visited his house in the Tekpanja area of Mandirbazar on Wednesday. But, he is absconding, police said.
On Wednesday, amid the uncertainty of their security and the looming threat of fresh attacks by "goons close to the ruling party", residents of the Daluikhaki-Laskarpara, whose houses were torched on Monday, began coming back. The villagers decided to return in fear of their land being grabbed as “enemy property” due to their association with CPM.
"We have no option left… We cannot stay for long at the party office or the police station since the land where once our houses had existed could be grabbed by the goons as they threatened,” said a woman in Daluikhaki-Laskarpara.
A large police team has been deployed in the village and entry of outsiders is prohibited on the grounds of maintaining law and order. SDPO Baruipur Atish Biswas said: “There is no reason for panic anymore. A police team has been deployed for surveillance. No one should leave the area out of fear."
However, villagers claimed to have no faith in the police. “There were policemen on Monday. But they did nothing. Had they shown a little courage, our houses could have been saved,” said homemaker Malina Biwi.
In Daluikhaki-Laskarpara village, a section of the arson victims, who were seen cleaning the debris of their gutted houses, said they had no idea how to rebuild their houses. Except for the relief items given by the CPM, the homeless families had nothing of their own. On Wednesday, they prepared to spend the night under the open sky.
Some students from Daluikhaki-Lashkarpara, who will appear in next year’s Madhyamik, have appealed to the state government for help.
Victims of arson that occurred in Daluikhaki Laskarpara returning to their places on Wednesday afternoon Sourced by The Telegraph
“I have lost my books and study materials.... everything got gutted. I don’t even own a pencil now. Without help, it will not be possible for me to appear in the examination,” a girl said.
A CPM leader in Joynagar said, “We will try our best to help these students and also take up their matter with the administration. After the Bogtui arson, the state government helped such students whose books were gutted in the violence. This time, the administration has done nothing so far. Even relief items have not been provided to the arson victims."
