In a significant administrative reshuffle coinciding with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) assuming control of the investigation into the January 16-17 Beldanga violence, the West Bengal government on Saturday transferred Murshidabad police superintendent Kumar Sunny Raj. He has been replaced by Dhritiman Sarkar in this crucial law enforcement position.
Police Transfer Amid Escalating Investigation
According to senior officials within the Bengal administration, the decision to transfer SP Kumar Sunny Raj stems from dissatisfaction with how local police managed both the violent incidents and their aftermath. The government particularly noted concerns about the handling of the situation that saw journalists, including a female reporter, being assaulted while performing their professional duties.
Kumar Sunny Raj will now assume the position of Intelligence Branch special superintendent, effectively swapping roles with Dhritiman Sarkar. This transfer occurred as the NIA formally began its probe into the Beldanga violence, which saw the crucial NH-12 national highway blocked for hours over two consecutive days, disrupting this vital north-south transportation corridor.
NIA's Comprehensive Investigation Process
The NIA's involvement commenced on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting West Bengal. An eight-member investigative team reached Murshidabad late Friday and began their work in earnest on Saturday morning. Their initial visit took them to Beldanga police station, where three separate cases had been registered following violence that erupted after the January 14 death of 30-year-old Alauddin Sheikh in Jharkhand.
Local police provided the NIA team with details about the 38 individuals arrested in connection with the violence. Notably, two of those detained have since been released: one individual with mental health challenges, and another person captured on CCTV footage assisting assaulted journalists reach safety in his three-wheeler vehicle.
Gathering Evidence and Documentation
The investigative officers proceeded to the Superintendent of Police's office in Murshidabad to collect comprehensive case reports. When informed that these documents had been forwarded to court, the NIA team visited the Behrampore Chief Judicial Magistrate Court to obtain the necessary paperwork for their investigation.
Simultaneously, NIA officials are actively working to secure CCTV footage from relevant locations and plan to interview Sona Bibi and Nekbas Sheikh, the mother and father of deceased laborer Alauddin Sheikh from Tatlapara-Sujapur. Their questioning aims to determine who transported their son's body from Jharkhand to NH-12 at Maheshpur, a crucial element in understanding the sequence of events.
Legal Proceedings and Investigative Developments
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court requesting deployment of central security forces in violence-affected Beldanga. The High Court has deferred to the central government regarding whether NIA involvement in the investigation is warranted, a decision that materialized on Friday when the Centre formally directed the NIA to take over the probe.
Adding another dimension to the investigation, a Jharkhand Police report has reached West Bengal authorities indicating preliminary findings that Alauddin Sheikh, who worked as a hawker, may have died by suicide. This report is expected to be shared with the NIA as part of their comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence that followed his death.
The transfer of police leadership in Murshidabad district represents a significant development in the ongoing investigation, reflecting the seriousness with which both state and central authorities are treating the Beldanga violence case as multiple investigative threads continue to unfold.
