Rampurhat Police has arrested Vasan Sheikh and Sheikh Shafikh from Nalhati in connection with the panchayat deputy chief, Bhadu Shiekh murder case. So far six persons have been arrested in this murder case.

Rampurhat ACJM court has sent Sera Sheikh and Sanju Sheikh, who have been named in the FIR, to 10 days police custody for further investigations. The district police are now trying to seize bombs and fire arms which have been used to murder Bhadu Shiekh after interrogating these six arrested persons. The team of Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) raided the houses of Ali Hussein and Kalu Shiekh, the absconding brothers of Bhadu Sheikh at Bagtui village today. Both men were last seen a day after his murder and since then are absconding.

The CBI team also went to the house of Bhadu’s sister at Margram and questioned her about the details of the two absconding brothers. The person of Kogram in Nalhati, Alauddin Sheikh, who has identified all the eight dead bodies the next day at the Rampurhat hospital has also been grilled and statements recorded. The IC of Nalhati Police Station , Manoj Singhya who was also called for law and order duty on that night was also grilled by the CBI officers. His statements to the CBI have been recorded.

The former IC of Rampurhat Police Station, Tridib Pramanik and SDPO, Sayan Ahmed were already questioned by the CBI. Taher Sheikh, the neighbouring house owner of the five houses which have been torched has also been questioned at Bagtui village by the CBI team.

Meanwhile, Trinamul Congress Birbhum strongman and district party president Anubrata Mondol today claimed that he was in favour of the removal of the arrested party block president Anarul Hossein but Ashish Banerjee,the local MLA and deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, had requested not to remove him till the panchayat polls are over and hence it had to be shelved.

He further said that he presumed something untoward was in the offing, as he was receiving adverse reports against Hussein following poor results in the Bagtui Block in the 2021 Assembly elections, and a move was contemplated to replace him. Ashis Banerjee, meanwhile, claimed that the letter, which became public had its date mentioned as 10.6.21 after the results of the Assembly polls were out in May. However, he acknowledged the fact that he had written the letter on a blank paper which had no letterhead.

Going further, Banerjee claimed that he had advised against removing any block presidents at that time. “ As Anarul Hossein was also a block president, taking concurrence of others at a meeting held at that time, I advised the district party president against giving effect to such a move till the panchayat polls are held. Since I had been told to give it in writing, I had given the same,” Mr Banerjee claimed.