A violent confrontation in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, left six policemen injured and a police vehicle severely damaged on Friday, January 3, 2026. The clash erupted when a police team attempting to summon a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker, accused of illegal land occupation, was attacked by a mob.
The Raid That Sparked Violence
The incident unfolded in the Boyarmari area of Sandeshkhali, located in North 24 Parganas district. A team from the Nazat police station arrived at the residence of Musa Mollah, a TMC worker allegedly close to the suspended party leader Shahjahan Sheikh. Mollah was accused of illegally occupying farmland, a dispute that had led the Basirhat sub-divisional court to impose Section 144 on the property.
When police officials asked Mollah to accompany them to the station, he reportedly called his followers. The mob then stopped the police car, vandalised it, and assaulted the personnel, allowing Mollah to be taken away. Reinforcements from the Rajbari police outpost who arrived later were also allegedly attacked. The injured policemen were subsequently rushed to Minakha Hospital for treatment.
Massive Police Response and Political Fallout
In the aftermath, authorities deployed a large police force in the region. Nine individuals were arrested following raids on multiple houses, and they are currently being interrogated. Police sources confirmed that the pradhan and upa-pradhan of Boyarmari Gram Panchayat 2 have been detained. However, family members of those arrested claimed their relatives were innocent and falsely implicated.
The incident quickly drew sharp political reactions. TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty condemned the attack, stating the police were merely performing their duty and accused the opposition of politicising the event. In a strong rebuttal, BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging a breakdown of law and order. He controversially compared the situation to Bangladesh, referencing the lynching of a Hindu garment worker near Dhaka in late 2025.
A Troubled History of Confrontations
This is not an isolated incident of violence against authorities in Sandeshkhali. The region witnessed a major attack in January 2024, when an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was assaulted while visiting the house of the same suspended TMC leader, Shahjahan Sheikh. Three ED officials were hospitalised in that attack, forcing the team to retreat. Sheikh, currently in jail facing multiple cases, has been accused of continuing to intimidate people in Sandeshkhali even from behind bars.
Police officials indicated that raids are ongoing to trace other accused persons involved in Friday's clash, with all available CCTV footage being scrutinised. No official statement has been released yet, but the situation in the area remains tense under heavy police deployment.
