A special three-member team from the West Bengal police arrived in Sambalpur, Odisha, on Sunday. Their mission was to assess the ongoing investigation into the alleged murder of a young construction worker from Murshidabad. This visit comes directly after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly condemned the killing.
Details of the Police Visit and the Case
The team, consisting of Sub-Inspector M D Shahjahan, Assistant Sub-Inspector Ghulam Zafar Siddiqui, and Constable Parimal Oraon, examined the scene and circumstances surrounding the death of Sheikh Juel Rana. The 21-year-old was killed on December 24 following a dispute over money.
Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Himanshu Lal stated that all six accused in the case have already been arrested. He emphasized that a zero FIR registered in Murshidabad holds little relevance now, as the Odisha police had promptly registered a case at the Ainthapali police station and taken action.
Sambalpur police officials clarified that the law does not permit a parallel investigation by the Bengal police since the First Information Report (FIR) was filed within the jurisdiction where the crime occurred.
Political Fallout and Conflicting Narratives
The tragic incident has ignited a sharp political confrontation between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Taking to social media platform X, Banerjee accused the Odisha government of failing to protect migrant workers.
She wrote that migrant workers from Murshidabad were returning home in fear from Odisha and condemned what she called the "brutal oppression and persecution" of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.
The BJP swiftly dismissed these allegations. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal labeled Banerjee's claims as "baseless" and urged her to avoid "cheap politics." He asserted that the Odisha police acted swiftly in this case and that people from various states live peacefully in Odisha.
Police Clarification on the Motive
While some workers from West Bengal alleged they were called "Bangladeshis" before being attacked, the police have firmly stated that the crime had no communal or linguistic angle.
Odisha police attributed the violence to a rivalry between two groups. IGP Himanshu Lal confirmed that further scientific investigation is underway to solidify the case against the arrested individuals.
