Bankura (West Bengal) [India], August 18 (ANI): Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka on Monday alleged a lack of action by West Bengal Police over threats to CJP volunteer Abdul Hafiz’s family before his father’s death.
Ranka alleged that Hafiz’s father died after being attacked by “BJP goons,” accusing local BJP MLA Nirmal Dhara, along with party supporters, of targeting Hafiz. However, West Bengal Police has denied the claims of a “brutal assault”.
Speaking to ANI, Ranka claimed that Abdul had travelled to Jantar Mantar on July 18 to participate in an education-focused protest and later joined CJP’s “Fix Our Schools” campaign upon returning to his home village in Bankura.
The statement comes after the CJP National Spokesperson, along with a delegation from CJP, went to meet Hafiz, whose father was allegedly beaten to death.
“A young man named Abdul, from this village in Bankura district, set out for Jantar Mantar on July 18th, hopeful because, for the first time in the country, education was being discussed. Abdul stayed at Jantar Mantar until Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. However, upon his return, the local BJP MLA Nirmal Dhara and his goons began threatening him. They called Abdul a terrorist and a Pakistani,” he said.
Ranka detailed that Hafiz went to seek permission from a local school headmaster, Kashinath Dey, who is also associated with the BJP, to inspect facilities and propose improvements as part of the “Fix Our Schools’ campaign.
The CJP leader alleged that after Hafiz reached home, his house electricity was first cut off and his family was later subjected to an attack by the “BJP goons.”
“When our ‘Fix Our Schools’ campaign began, Abdul pledged to support our movement for educational reform; he simply went to the village headmaster, Kashinath Dey, who is himself a BJP agent, to ask for permission. He wanted to see the school, conduct an audit, and discuss how the village’s government school could be improved. But following this, Kashinath tipped off the BJP goons; the moment Abdul reached home, they first cut off the electricity and then attacked his entire family,” he said.
He added that the goons allegedly attacked Hafiz’s father when he tried to intervene. The family had to visit a hospital without police protection for medical assistance after the incident.
“When his father stepped in to intervene, he was beaten as well. Even after this incident, the police remained indifferent. The family had to go to the hospital without any police protection,” he said.
“There, too, 200-300 BJP goons were waiting; they assaulted Abdul and his father again,” he added.
Criticising the police, he claimed that the police were nowhere to be found. Afterwards, when the family reached the police station to file a complaint, the goons prevented them from entering.
“The police were nowhere to be found throughout this ordeal. When Abdul’s family went to the police station to file a complaint, the BJP goons prevented them from even entering,” he said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Police said that Abdul Hafiz’s father was admitted to the hospital after a minor injury. He got self-admitted to the Burdwan Medical College after experiencing severe blood pressure fluctuations and had no “life-threatening injury.”
The police have, however, arrested eight individuals in the case.
“On the night of August 13, a group of miscreants allegedly accosted Sk Abdul Hafiz @ Rik at his residence in Indas, Bankura, purportedly in connection with Rik’s visit to Karisunda Paschimpara Primary School that morning to enquire about the school’s facilities. During the incident, Rik’s father, Sk Md Mafik, sustained a minor injury that required a single stitch. On the morning of August 15, Sk Md Mafik got self-admitted to Burdwan Medical College after experiencing severe blood pressure fluctuations. No life-threatening injury was found by doctors who treated him. Sadly, Mafik passed away that night,” police said in a statement on X.
“Following his death, baseless and false claims began circulating online alleging that Mafik had died from a ‘brutal physical assault’. Bankura Police launched a thorough investigation and, acting on the FIR registered, arrested eight individuals — three named in the initial FIR and five additional suspects — all of whom have been remanded to eight days of police custody. Active manhunts are underway for two remaining absconding suspects, and a police house guard has been placed at Rik’s residence. We request all to refrain from spreading misleading information in this regard and allow the investigation to proceed. Those spreading rumours will be sternly dealt with as per law,” the statement read. (ANI)
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