Jharsuguda, Odisha: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Murshidabad violence, the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police has detained two sons of Ziaul Sheikh, a prime accused in the recent double murder case that rocked the district on April 12. The detentions were made during coordinated raids conducted in the Andhabal area of Jharsuguda district, Odisha, on Sunday.
According to sources, a five-member STF team detained a total of 14 individuals during the operation. The two sons of Ziaul Sheikh, who were among those picked up, were reportedly working as migrant labourers in Jharsuguda across different sectors. Investigators suspect that they had travelled to Murshidabad during Eid and may have played a role in the violence that broke out during that period.
The detainees are currently being interrogated at Banharpali police station. Their mobile records and movements during the period of unrest are under scrutiny as the West Bengal Police seeks to uncover further links to the April 12 incident in which 52-year-old Haragobindo Das and his son, Chandan Das (28), were brutally murdered by a mob.
Ziaul Sheikh, originally from Sulitala Purbapara near Jafrabad village, was apprehended from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district on Saturday. His arrest marks the fourth in the murder case. He is accused of orchestrating the attack and provoking a violent mob to ransack and vandalise the Das family’s residence. CCTV footage and mobile tower data reportedly place him at the scene during the time of the killings.
Earlier, police arrested three others in connection with the case: brothers Kalu Nadar and Dildar, along with another suspect, Inzmam Ul Haque. These arrests are part of a broader crackdown following widespread communal violence that erupted in Murshidabad on April 11, during protests against the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act.
So far, over 100 FIRS have been lodged, and 292 individuals have been arrested across multiple locations in the state. Authorities continue to probe the network behind the violence, which has left deep scars in the region.
In a parallel development, nearly 300 families who had fled from Murshidabad in the wake of the riots and taken shelter in a school in Baishnabnagar, Malda, have begun returning home. Local officials confirmed that all but 50 individuals have now returned.
“We are here to receive the families who are returning. The current situation is peaceful. We have been conducting arrests from day one. Yesterday alone, we arrested two people — one on charges of murder, another for rioting. As of now, we have registered 153 cases and arrested 292 accused,” said Ananda Roy, Superintendent of Police, Jangipur, while speaking to the media.
Authorities are maintaining heightened security in the region to prevent any further escalation and ensure the safe rehabilitation of displaced families.
