Two separate police complaints were lodged on Monday against ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique and Trinamul Congress strongman Arabul Islam in connection with murders during the violence that marred the filing of nominations for the rural polls at Bhangar in South 24-Parganas last week.
Arabul, his son Hakimul and 18 others were accused of killing ISF activist Mahiuddin Molla. The complaint was filed by Mahiuddin’s father Kutubuddin.
In connection with Trinamul worker Raju Naskar’s killing, his son-in-law filed the complaint, accusing Siddique of conspiring the murder.
Both the complaints were lodged at Kashipur police.
The police started investigations into the two separate murder cases.
However, the police are yet to make any arrests till Monday evening and both the accused leaders have claimed innocence and charged each others’ rivals with unleashing violence by hiring goons from outside to prevent the submission of nominations.
Apart from the case in which Nawsad has been named, Trinamul leaders have lodged two complaints with Kashipur police and cops have begun at least three other cases on a suo moto basis.
In his complaint, Kutubuddin alleged that his son, who was a proposer of an ISF candidate, was shot dead by goons engaged by Arabul and his son near Kanthalia when he along with other ISF supporters were approaching Bhangar-II block development office to file nominations being escorted by police as per a direction of Calcutta High Court.
While Arabul refused to speak, his son Hakimul, the party’s youth wing leader, has refuted the allegations.
“People in Bhangar have witnessed how Nawsad and his men have brought goons from outside to attack Trinamul activists and unleash tension. Nawsad and the ISF are responsible for the tension in Bhangar,” Hakimul said demanding that the police should immediately arrest the ISF MLA.
Hitting back at the ruling party, Nawsad blamed the Trinamul and the police for tension and arson in Bhangar.
“People in Bhangar have seen who brought goons and arms from outside. Our party activist was killed under police protection and the police should have started a suo moto case much earlier without waiting for a complaint. Now finding no way to harass me, the police to balance the situation began a fabricated murder case against me,” Nawsad said.
Asked about the progress in the two cases filed by family of Mahiuddin and Raju, a senior officer at Kashipur police station said: “It is too early to comment. As the complaints involve senior politicians, we will undertake a proper probe before taking any step.” He, however, added that in other cases related to violence in Bhangar around 18 persons had been arrested so far.
Nawsad to CM
Bhangar’s ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique, on Monday, said he was ready to reconsider his party’s decision to contest the rural polls in Bhangar for the sake of peace in his constituency. He said if chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked him to do so he would discuss the idea of withdrawing all ISF nominations with his party colleagues and candidates.
“I am not here to do this kind of politics of violence. The people who died in the last few days, irrespective of whichever party they belonged to, shouldn’t have died. For the sake of peace in Bhangar and for the sake of its people, I will consider withdrawing the nominations. If the chief minister asks me to do so, I will speak to my party and the candidates,” Nawsad said in a television interview.
Nawsad’s offer was met with mockery from the Trinamul with party’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accusing him of working hand-in-glove with the BJP.
