Kolkata, February 26 – After three unsuccessful attempts, the NIA will again try to produce the seven accused, arrested in the Beldanga unrest case in West Bengal, before a city court on Thursday.
This would be the fourth attempt to bring the accused to court, as on the previous three occasions, the state police failed to provide the necessary escort to bring the accused from the Murshidabad district to Kolkata.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been investigating the Beldanga unrest as per the order of the Calcutta High Court, has stated that if the state government fails, then it will itself arrange an escort to bring the accused to the court. However, it remains to be seen whether the state police will provide an escort this time.
Sources said that the NIA will seek the custody of the seven accused for an investigation into the unrest. However, it remains to be seen whether the accused will be produced in the city sessions court on Thursday and the NIA will get their custody.
It may be noted that the NIA approached the Calcutta High Court last Friday, seeking its intervention in directing the West Bengal Police to submit the case diary of the violence that occurred last month to the central agency officials investigating the matter.
In its petition, the NIA counsel argued that the state police were refusing to hand over the case diary despite the Division Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, having refused to entertain the plea of the state government opposing the NIA investigation.
Incidentally, the court had asked the state to hand over the case diary by February 26. It remains to be seen whether the case diary is handed over to the NIA.
Last month, Beldanga in the Murshidabad district became the center of unrest after news of the death of Alauddin Sheikh, a migrant worker from Murshidabad, in Jharkhand, reached.
When Alauddin's body arrived there on January 16, local people took to the streets. The protesters blocked the national highway on January 16, burning tires and pelting stones. Even train services on the Sealdah-Lalgola route were disrupted due to the violent protests. A female journalist was attacked in Beldanga that day. Although the police cleared the protests on the first day, Beldanga erupted again on January 17.
A total of 36 people, including an AIMIM leader, were arrested in connection with their involvement in the unrest.
The Calcutta High Court had stated that if the Central government wished, it could have the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigate the Beldanga incident. Following this, the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the investigation to the Central agency.
The Supreme Court did not grant any stay on the NIA investigation in accordance with the state's demand during the hearing of the case. However, the court said in its order that the NIA will submit a report to the division bench of the Calcutta High Court in a sealed envelope, stating whether there is prima facie basis for the application of UAPA during the investigation.