Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the violence in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga area two days earlier this month over the death of a migrant worker from West Bengal in neighbouring Jharkhand.
Sources said Saturday that the development coincided with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to West Bengal.
The NIA took over the investigation on a day when HM Shah is scheduled to hold a workers’ meet in Barrackpore and Siliguri later in the day Saturday.
It may be noted that violent protests broke out in Murshidabad’s BeldangaJanuary 16 following the death of a migrant worker from the state of Jharkhand.
A large number of people took to the streets by blocking railway tracks and the national highway for several hours, and even attacked policemen and media persons
The protests continued for another day, resulting in the disruption of traffic movement on the national highway.
Police later resorted to a lathi-charge to bring the situation under control and lifted the blockades.
A total of 36 people were arrested in connection with this incident, including a leader of the AIMIM party, the minority political party from Hyderabad.
They were arrested based on social media videos and after monitoring CCTV footage.
It may be noted that a PIL was filed at the Calcutta High Court seeking the deployment of central forces in violence-hit Beldanga.
While hearing the PIL, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court gave freedom to the Union government to order an NIA probe into the violence and tension for two days in Beldanga.
The Division Bench of Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen also directed that Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel be deployed at Beldanga till 100 per cent normalcy is restored in the area, and if necessary, more CAPF companies could be deployed in the area for that purpose.
The Division Bench also clearly directed the state government to make the most effective use of the CAPF in the troubled pockets.
The court gave this order after a detailed hearing on a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, demanding deployment of CAPF personnel in the region, as well as an NIA probe into the matter.
Justice Paul and Justice Sen also directed the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Murshidabad to file affidavits in the court within 15 days, taking responsibility for the security of the lives of people and property in the area.
