Nearly seven years after the brutal killing of three BJP workers in Sandeshkhali following the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 10 persons, including an alleged close associate of Sheikh Shahjahan, in connection with the case.
The arrests were made after what investigators described as a prolonged probe involving eyewitness testimonies, local intelligence inputs, and scrutiny of earlier case records related to post-poll violence in the riverine region of North 24-Parganas district.
The three deceased BJP workers — Pradip Mondal, Sukanta Mondal and Debdas Mondal — were allegedly murdered in the Nazat area of Sandeshkhali in June 2019 amid intense political clashes after the Lok Sabha polls. According to the allegations, the victims were first shot and later attacked with sharp weapons before being killed.
Among those arrested is Kader Molla, said to be a close aide of Sheikh Shahjahan, the controversial Trinamul Congress strongman whose name has repeatedly surfaced in several cases linked to Sandeshkhali.
CBI officials said the accused were apprehended following fresh developments in the investigation and sustained collection of evidence over the years. Sources in the investigating agency said the arrests were based on corroborative statements of witnesses and other material gathered during the course of the inquiry.
The agency is now interrogating the accused to ascertain the larger conspiracy behind the killings and identify the role of other individuals allegedly involved in the incident.
The case had initially been investigated by a Special Investigation Team of the West Bengal Police. However, family members of the deceased later alleged that the names of several influential persons, including Sheikh Shahjahan, were omitted from the investigation records submitted by the state police.
Subsequently, the families of the victims approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a neutral investigation into the killings. Acting on the plea, the High Court directed a central probe, after which the CBI took over the investigation.
The latest arrests have once again brought Sandeshkhali into political focus, with the probe agency indicating that more persons remain under its scanner in connection with the case.