CBI arrests 11 people in Nandigram murder case

Kolkata, Oct 9 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)that is probing the post-poll violence in West Bengal under the directive of Calcutta High Court arrested 11 persons including Mamata Banerjee's election agent in Nandigram Sk Sufian's son-in-law Sk Habibul in Nandigram murder case wherein BJP worker Debabrata Maity was allegedly murdered by Trinamool Congress workers.

This is the first time CBI arrested so many people in a particular case. On Saturday morning, all the accused were asked to present at the Calcutta Port Trust guest house in Haldia that is around 40 km away from Nandigram.

The accused included Sheikh Baitul Islam, son-in-law of Trinamool leader Sufian, who is the head of Nandigram's anchal no 4, Sheikh Shahabuddin Kendamari who is the former head of anchal No. 3 and Sheikh Habibur Rahman is the head of region number two of Mohammadpur. The CBI also arrested 9 more people.

It is to be mentioned that the probe agency had interrogated Sufian also in the murder case but his name did not figure out in the charge-sheet that CBI submitted before the Additional chief judicial magistrate of Haldia sub-divisional court on Friday.

Though Sufian claimed it to be the moral victory of the party, the arrest of his son-in-law has definitely pushed the ruling party to the back seat.

In the chargesheet submitted before the court on Friday the agency had registered a case over Maiti's death on September 30 following a Calcutta High Court order. The chargesheet, had names of Sk Mijanur, Sk Fatenur and Sk Emdadul Islam who were arrested by Nandigram police following investigations into the fatal attack, allegedly orchestrated by Trinamool Congress supporters.

Debabrata Maiti, a BJP activist from Chillagram in Nandigram, was killed after the results of the state assembly elections came out. Trinamool was accused of killing him.

After the arrest, tensions erupted after the arrest near the temporary CBI camp in Haldia. Local grassroots leaders and activists gathered and started shouting slogans in front of the gate of district Trinamool president Devprasad Mandal was also allegedly prevented from trying to enter the temporary CBI camp.

Later, the police personnel of Haldia police station reached the spot and all the accused were then produced in the Haldia sub divisional court. Lots of police and CRPF personnel were deployed in the court premises.