Anarul Hussain, the powerful block president of the Trinamool Congress from West Bengal’s Rampurhat, is now in police custody over the violence that took place in the area last week. Locals say he was helpful but was also involved in nefarious activities.
Sabina Bibi, sister of Sona Sheikh whose family was killed in the violence, told News18, “It was Anarul who used to decide whose case will be taken up and whose case will not be taken up by the police. Bhadu Sheikh (Sona’s rival, whose murder allegedly sparked the violence) was very powerful. They are behind all this. They used to extort money from lorries.”
A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached Bogtui village near Rampurhat on Saturday and started its investigation into the violence. Unidentified men had on March 21 set 10 houses on fire in the village, killing nine people, including women and children.
Anarul though says he has been framed in the case and there’s a conspiracy.
News18 also travelled to those places where money is allegedly extorted from trucks and lorries. In parts of Rampurhat, special thatched-roof collection or “dak” offices have been built near the highway apparently for this purpose. And the trucks that pass by have to pay up. Most of the collection comes from overloaded vehicles.
Some of the drivers, who wished to remain anonymous, told News18, “This is the road through which sand, coal, stone chips, etc, are ferried. For each overloaded truck, we have to give Rs 500. The police and the politicians are all in cahoots.”
Everyone in the locality knows the “dak master” who collects the money. Many residents say Bhadu used to run this racket and because he had the political protection of Anarul and another top leader of this region, nobody could question him.
“Local leaders thus have control over the police here,” said Giyasuddin Sheikh, a local resident.
On Monday, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Sayan Ahmed was questioned for more than four hours about the killings. Rampurhat thana incharge Tridip Pramanik was quizzed on Tuesday.
The role of the police, therefore, is under suspicion and the CBI is looking into it, said sources.
There are many ‘Bhadu Sheikhs’ in this region whose lives and livelihood depend on the illegal collections, say locals. And rivalries over this can sometimes take a terrible turn.
Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.