West Bengal: Mob attacks police during arrest of TMC leader Musa Mollah in land grabbing case in Sandeshkhali, 6 personnel injured and 11 arrested  

Violence broke out in the Sandeshkhali area of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Saturday, 3rd January, as local TMC workers attacked a police team for arresting a Trinamool Congress leader accused of land grabbing. When a police team reached the Sandeshkhali area to arrest accused TMC worker Musa Mollah, a mob of party workers attacked them, leaving six policemen injured. The police vehicle was also damaged during the attack.

The cops were hurt in stone pelting by some villagers when they picked up Mollah from his residence and took him inside the police vehicle. Musa Mollah was arrested as he is accused of grabbing land in the area for pisciculture. Others in the area, who are also TMC members, had objected to this encroachment and clashed with his side. Mollah was finally taken to the police station after reinforcements arrived following the mob attack.

Police said Mollah was accused of illegally occupying land, and he has been involved in a land dispute with another person for some time. The matter had even reached court, and the court had ordered an injunction on the land. However, despite the court’s stay order, Mollah started digging a pond at the plot for pisciculture. When complaints were filed against him over this, a notice was issued by the police to Mollah, asking him to report to the local Rajbari police outpost for defying the court’s directive.

But the TMC leader defied the police notice too, and continued his illegal activities at the place. After this, the police reached the area to arrest him.

A senior official of the Basirhat district police said, “Musa Molla was not complying with the court’s order. Therefore, he was sent a notice asking him to appear at the police station. However, he did not respond to the summons. Subsequently, a police team reached Hulopara to arrest him. At that time, Mulla called his associates and launched the attack on the team. Cases have been registered against the nine individuals under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for obstructing police work, assault and vandalism. They were produced before the Basirhat sub-divisional court on Saturday, seeking custody for interrogation to find out if anyone else was involved in the attack.”

After the incident, the police took quick action and arrested 11 people in connection with the attack. Officials said that all those arrested are workers of the Trinamool Congress. It has also come to light that the people involved in the violence are close to Shahjahan Shaikh, a powerful Trinamool Congress leader who is currently in jail in connection with the Sandeshkhali case.

The attack on the police has created fear and tension across Sandeshkhali. To prevent the situation from getting worse, heavy police forces have been deployed from nearby police stations. Security has been tightened, and police teams are carrying out search operations throughout the area to identify others who may have played a role in the violence.

Sandeshkhali has seen similar trouble in the past. Around two years ago, when an Enforcement Directorate team went to raid Shahjahan Shaikh’s house in a ration distribution scam case, his supporters attacked the ED officials. Several officers were injured in that incident. The latest violence has once again raised serious questions about law and order in the region.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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