West Bengal Police Deny 'Brutal Assault' Claims in CJP Activist Death

Ashutosh Ranka, a senior member of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has alleged that the father of activist Sheikh Abdul Hafiz died following an attack by BJP supporters. Ranka claimed that local BJP MLA Nirmal Dhara and his associates targeted Hafiz's family as retaliation for his participation in a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The activist group stated that the family had faced constant intimidation since returning to West Bengal from the national capital.

The West Bengal Police have formally denied the claims of a "brutal assault" leading to the death. Authorities clarified that while there were reports of a minor altercation, the medical evidence does not support the narrative of a fatal beating. The police maintained that the injury sustained by the deceased was minor and unrelated to the cause of death. They urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could incite further communal or political tension in the region.

The incident has exacerbated the existing political friction between human rights activists and local political leaders in West Bengal. The CJP continues to demand a high-level investigation, alleging that the local police are shielding influential political figures. This development is significant as it highlights the volatile security environment for grassroots activists in the state. For the average reader, this underscores the deep polarization within West Bengal's local governance. Watch for the official post-mortem report, which will be the critical factor in determining the course of the investigation.