West Bengal Police Forms SIT To Probe Murshidabad Violence

West Bengal Police has constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the recent incidents of violence in Murshidabad district, officials said on Wednesday.

The SIT comprises an Additional Superintendent of Police (Intelligence Branch), two Deputy Superintendents — one from the Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) and the other from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) — five inspectors (including four from the CID and one from Traffic Police), and the in-charge officer of the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sundarban Police District.

The violence that erupted last week in Murshidabad district against the new Waqf law has left at least three people dead.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Hassan Imran, Chairman of the West Bengal Minorities Commission, on Wednesday condemned the violence, saying, “Mamata Banerjee said a very good thing that we should go to Delhi and hold a protest there (against the Waqf Amendment Act). She also said that the TMC MPs will join us in the protest. This Act is unnecessarily imposed on us. Violent protests against the Act are not good. Even Mamata Banerjee said that this should not have been done. An investigation is going on regarding this. We condemn it. We all believe that protests should be done peacefully.”

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met muslim clerics in Kolkata. During the meeting with religious leaders, CM Banerjee had announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of those killed in the Murshidabad violence.

She also said that she will ask the Chief Secretary to file a report on it. Violence broke out in Murshidabad during a protest of the Muslim community against the Waqf Amendment Act on April 11. The protests turned violent, resulting in the death of a father-son duo and injuries to several others, with widespread property damage. One person was also killed in the police firing.

Following the violence, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs deployed nearly nine companies, at least 900 personnel, of the Border Security Force in Murshidabad. Of these nine companies, 300 BSF personnel are locally available, with additional companies at the request of the state government.

So far, 150 people have been arrested in connection with the Murshidabad violence, and adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas of Murshidabad, police said.

On Monday, the West Bengal police said that the situation in the violence-hit areas had returned to normal. “The situation is normal now. Everyone is safe,” said Additional Director General of Police, South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar. “The CRPF, state police, and joint forces are deployed. The DGP of West Bengal police himself was present at the Samserganj police station. We request everyone not to go through rumours. We opened a control room. Anyone facing any issue can contact us at any time.” (ANI)