Bengal on the boil again: Violence erupts over assault of migrant worker in Bihar; NH-12 blocked, stone-pelting leave passengers injured

BELDANGA (MURSHIDABAD): A fresh spate of violence rocked Murshidabad's Beldanga on Saturday accompanied by vandalism, arson and a four-and-a-half hours long blockade over the assault of 22-year-old migrant worker Anisur Rahman in Bihar.

This comes only a day after protests rocked the town over the death of 34-year-old Alauddin Sheikh in Jharkhand's Daltonganj.


Rahman, a local, had returned home from Bihar's Majhyampur on Friday with severe injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. "A group of people kicked me, beat me up with sticks after they checked my ID in Bihar on Friday," he said, adding that he had somehow managed to make his way back home.

On Saturday, protesters blocked NH-12 again, set tyres on fire, squatted on railway tracks, vandalised trucks and even pelted stones at a bus, injuring five passengers. A journalist, Partha Pratim Ghosh, was injured.

Trouble began around 9am when a group of people blocked NH-12 at Burwan, demanding punishment for those who had assaulted Rahman.

Police initially tried to pacify protesters but later used tear gas and resorted to lathi charge. Twenty-two people were detained for allegedly leading the violent protests. Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal has sought a report on the repeated incidents of violence in Beldanga.

The number of protesters surged after 9:30am. Within half-an-hour, the protesters also blocked the Panchraha More railway gate. Police negotiated with protesters for an hour and managed to remove protesters from NH-12 for a bit, only for them to regroup.

Soon after, a divider was broken at the railway gate and stones were pelted on a bus. Laltu Dey, the driver of the bus that was attacked, said, "I left the driver's seat to hide when I saw them coming with bricks. Five passengers were injured and have been taken to a local hospital. The bus's windows were broken."

Beldanga SDPO Uttam Garai and Murshidabad SP Kumar Sunny Raj soon arrived at the scene with RAF companies. Meanwhile, the crowd became more violent and started throwing bricks at stranded trucks. Police began lathi charge, first at Burwan More and then at Panchraha More railway gate.

SP Raj said, "Protesters weren't ready to negotiate. They threw stones, bricks at trucks and on a bus, which is why we were compelled to lathi charge. We are checking footage. Problems faced by migrant workers have been taken up by the administration."

The SP further said that four people were arrested on Saturday for attacking a female journalist during Friday's protests. The journalist is currently hospitalised with injuries to her hands and legs.

According to the SP, a man named Matiur Rahman is the main accused and that he had been inciting the public over the past two days.

Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that a party delegation will be sent to Beldanga to take stock of the situation.

"Our party seniors will visit Alauddin Sheikh's family. As per instructions of CM Mamata Banerjee, the district administration has extended financial help of Rs 2 lakh. It has been decided that his wife will get a govt job," Abhishek said in Behrampore.

(With inputs from Dwaipayan Ghosh in Kolkata)