Kolkata, Feb 5 – A Kolkata court has issued stern directives to the Murshidabad Superintendent of Police, demanding a detailed report following allegations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that the state police are withholding crucial probe materials related to the Beldanga violence.
City Sessions Court Chief Judge Sukumar Ray, presiding over the case on Thursday, also instructed the SP to ensure escort and security provisions for the 31 individuals accused in the case, who are slated to appear for the next hearing on February 12.
The court’s order for escorts stemmed from a report submitted by the Murshidabad jail superintendent, which indicated that police failed to provide the necessary security to transport the accused to the Kolkata court earlier on Thursday.
NIA Deputy SP Saroj Bhattacharjee formally lodged an application with the court, alleging that the investigating officer (IO) of Beldanga police station has not transferred the “papers and materials” connected with the investigation into the Beldanga violence to the central agency’s chief investigating officer.
In response to these serious accusations, Judge Ray has ordered the Murshidabad SP to personally submit a comprehensive report detailing the NIA’s allegations.
Furthermore, the investigating officer from Beldanga police station has been directed to appear in person before the court on the upcoming February 12 hearing. The IO is expected to explain why the relevant documents and materials were not handed over to the NIA, despite a prior court directive issued during the hearing on January 30. The officer is also required to provide a written explanation in this regard.
The NIA had taken over the investigation into the incidents of violence that plagued Beldanga in the second week of January. The unrest was initially triggered by reports of a migrant worker from the area dying in Jharkhand.
On January 16, protests escalated, leading to National Highway-12 being blocked for approximately six hours. During these demonstrations, a female journalist covering the events was reportedly assaulted by some protesters.
The situation further deteriorated on the morning of January 17, with fresh rounds of road and rail blockades erupting, allegedly in response to a migrant worker from the district being heckled in Bihar.
Authorities subsequently deployed additional police personnel, conducting route marches and area domination exercises, which successfully brought the volatile situation under control later that day. Police have confirmed the arrest of 31 individuals in connection with these incidents.
