Jharsuguda: Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police have detained two sons of Ziaul Sheikh, one of the prime accused in the recent double murder in violence-hit Murshidabad district, from Jharsuguda in Odisha.
They have been identified as Bani Israel (24) and Sefaul Haque (21).
The two are among 14 persons detained following a joint raid by Odisha and Bengal police at Bandhabahal in Jharsuguda on Sunday. The duo was taken to Banharpali police station for interrogation when they tried to escape, prompting police to fire four rounds in the air to stop them. A locally manufactured pistol with two 7.62 mm bullets were found on Bani.
According to sources, they Jharsuguda district and had visited Murshidabad during Eid. The West Bengal police suspect their involvement in the violence in Murshidabad on April 12.
“They (the detainees) were involved in arson and rioting cases in Jafrabad and Betbona villages under Shamsherganj PS. They escaped to Odisha after the incident. Their involvement in the double murder case is also being verified. They are being brought back to Jangipur,” TOI reported, quoting ADG (law & order) Jawed Shamim.
Sheikh, a resident of Sulitala Purbapara, the neighbouring village of Jafrabad, was nabbed from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district on Saturday. This was the fourth arrest in the killing of Haragobindo Das and his son Chandan Das on April 12. Ziaul Sheikh is accused of conspiring and instigating a mob to carry out vandalism at the residence of the deceased. CCTV footage and mobile tower records confirmed his presence at the crime scene.
Earlier, police had arrested two brothers, Kalu Nadar and Dildar, and Inzmam Ul Haque, in connection with the incident. Over 100 FIRs have been lodged related to the Murshidabad violence, which erupted on April 11 during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, and 292 people arrested so far.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 families, which fled riot-torn Murshidabad in Bengal last week and sought refuge in a school in neighbouring Malda’s Baishnabnagar, returned home on Sunday. “Apart from 50 people, all have returned from Malda. We are here to receive them. Current situation is absolutely peaceful… We have been arresting people for the first day and yesterday we arrested two people- one for murder, and one for rioting. We have registered 153 cases till now and we have arrested 292 accused,” Jangipur SP Ananda Roy told ANI.
