The fear is still visible on the faces of the families of the victims of the violence in which a father and his son were brutally killed in broad daylight. Villagers accused the local administration of failing to take any solid action to stop the attackers despite their presence.
Photo: ANI
Several villagers from Jafarabad located in the Shamsherganj Police Station area of Murshidabad District have taken refuge in the Verman Colony at Rajmahal in Jharkhand following large-scale violence in Murshidabad District on April 12 in the wake of protests over the Waqf Act.
The fear is still visible on the faces of the families of the victims of the violence in which a father and his son were brutally killed in broad daylight. Villagers accused the local administration of failing to take any solid action to stop the attackers despite their presence.
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Hriday Das, the cousin of the deceased Hargovind Das, confirmed the incident and stated that the attackers carried out the violence in a well-planned manner. He claimed chaos erupted in the village at the time of the incident, with people fleeing their homes in panic.
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Around 9 AM on April 12, stone-pelting suddenly began in Jafarabad village. At that time, the villagers were busy with their daily activities.
A family member of the deceased reported that they were working inside their house when they received information that people were vandalizing a snack shop near their home.
A crowd of around 40-50 people entered the village, vandalized some shops and homes, and then left. But soon after, a large armed mob re-entered the village. The mob was equipped with swords, knives, sticks, bricks, stones, and homemade bombs.
In fear, the family members of the victims hid under a cot inside their home. During this time, Hargovind Das (72) and his son Chandan Das (40) ran inside the house to save themselves, but the attackers spotted them. The violent mob dragged them outside and started beating them mercilessly.
They were then attacked with sharp weapons on various parts of their bodies, and finally, bricks and stones were used to strike them on the head, killing them. Hargovind Das died on the spot, while his son Chandan Das was severely injured and writhing in pain on the ground.
Hargovind Das’s brother’s daughter-in-law, Sucharita Sarkar, revealed that violence had started in nearby areas right after the Friday prayers.
Reports of vandalism and arson followed. On the next day, Saturday, a large number of people from neighboring villages arrived at Jafarabad, armed with weapons, bricks, and stones. They attacked and killed Hargovind Das and his son Chandan Das in front of their family.
According to Sucharita, the family repeatedly called an ambulance and the police during the incident, but neither the ambulance arrived on time nor did the police intervene promptly.
Hriday Das, the cousin of Hargovind Das, mentioned that the attackers wreaked havoc in the village for about 40 minutes. When they left, he arrived at the scene and found that Chandan Das was still breathing. By then, neither the police nor the administration had reached the spot.
Unable to find any other means of transportation, they sought help from an acquaintance and arranged a private vehicle to take Chandan to the DTH Hospital in Dakbengla. After examination, the doctors declared him dead. Only then did the police arrive at the hospital and begin their official investigation.
After the attack, the family had to travel disguised as patients in an ambulance to save their lives. Typically, an ambulance carries two to three patients, but in this case, 13 members of Hargovind Das’s family—seven women, children, and six men—were packed into a single ambulance to somehow reach Pakur.
One elderly woman, who normally has difficulty walking, had to be dragged for some distance. After reaching Pakur, the family took a train to reach the Three-Pahar Station. From there, they traveled by Toto (electric rickshaw) to their relative’s house in Verman Colony, Rajmahal.
During the train journey, a fellow passenger, after hearing their story, offered them water and food. Amid hunger, thirst, and fear, it provided them a brief moment of relief.
Hriday Das reported that around 170 Hindu Dalit families live in Jafarabad village, surrounded by densely populated areas of other communities. After the murders of Hargovind Das and Chandan Das on Saturday, no one was left to perform the last rites for the deceased. Most of the villagers had fled to save their lives.
Subsequently, on Sunday, the police carried out the cremation of the father and son in Dhulian. Chandan Das’s 13-year-old son, Akash Das, performed the last rites, giving the final fire to his father and grandfather.
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