After the police booked two more aides of his ‘personal assistant’, Soumitra Khan, BJP MP from Bishnupur in Bankura has trained his guns at the top leaders of the ruling party in Bengal.
“One Bhaipo (nephew) and one Superintendent of Police were behind the murder of coal mafia leader Rajesh Jha, as he was on his way to submit entire documents establishing the involvement of the Bhaipo of Kalighat, as well as that SP in illegal coal mining and smuggling,” Khan said in Durgapur today while attending his party’s “letter sending” programme in the Benachity market area.
Rajesh Jha, a coal mafia-turned politician, was shot dead on 1 April, 2023 in Shaktigarh near Burdwan town. He had joined the BJP in 2019 and was killed while on his way to attend the Enforcement Directorate’s office in Kolkata with information pertaining to illegal mining.
The East Burdwan police on 4 February arrested two youths from near an integrated township in the upscale area of Burdwan town and seized Rs 6.49 lakh in cash from their car. The money had been allegedly collected from illegal coal trafficking. The youths, identified as Sourabh Ghorui and Bapon Hansda, had confessed that they were collecting the money under instructions from Hriday Pal, the purported PA of Khan, the MP. They were, however, released on interim bail.
After that, the police made two fresh arrests, this time in connection with an alleged sand trafficking racket run by Hriday Pal, who is a resident of Beliatore in Bankura. Those arrested were Kiron Khan and Astom Mete, who were picked up by Sonamukhi Police Station officials yesterday from Randiha in Budbud PS area of East Burdwan. The police had earlier seized some tractors laden with illegal sand in Randiha, where Astom’s involvement was ascertained.
Following the seizure, Astom and his aides had allegedly attacked a raiding police team the next day. Police investigations revealed that Astom had assigned some youths from Sakuri, Saldiha and Randiha to run his seemingly unchecked trade of illegal sand mining and trafficking from the Damodar riverbed. The probe led to Astom and his aide, Kiran Khan. Their involvement in Hriday’s racket in coal mining was established as well. According to the police, “Everyday, at least 150 tractorloads of illegal sand were being trafficked from the river in Sonamukhi and Galsi.”
Astom’s elder brother Anup incidentally is the Pradhan of local Trinamul Congress-governed Chaktentul Panchayat. Soumitra Khan said today: “See how a TMC leader’s brother is involved in illegal sand trafficking. Then why are the police trying to connect my name alone in the case?”
The Additional Superintendent of Police, Burdwan, Arka Banerjee, further claimed: “We have intensified investigations and none involved in the sand racket will be spared.”