State Police Arrest Two in Connection with Nagrakata Attack on BJP Lawmakers

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Ngarkatta, October 9, 2025 : The State Police have arrested five individuals involved in the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers in Nagrakata earlier this week. The arrests, made between October 8 and October 9, came after a delay of over 48 hours, despite the high-profile nature of the incident.

The individuals arrested are Etwa Oraon alias Dharea (40), Govind Sharama (42), Akramul Haque, Sahanur Alam alias Mannan (30), and Tofayel Hossain alias Milan (36), all residents of Khayerbari in Nagrakata. They have been charged in connection with the violent incident on October 6, 2025, when BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh, the Chief Opposition Whip of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, were attacked during a visit to flood-hit areas.

Both Murmu and Ghosh were hospitalized in Siliguri with serious injuries, and their vehicle was vandalized during the attack. The incident has sparked intense political debate, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of delayed action.

BJP Allegations and Political Reactions

The delay in the arrests has been widely criticized by BJP leaders, especially Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who on October 8 alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) was pressuring the authorities to stall the arrests. He also claimed that TMC had handed over the suspects to the police only due to mounting pressure from the Scheduled Tribes Commission and the Lok Sabha Speaker. Adhikari stated that no one named in the First Information Report (FIR) had been arrested and raised concerns over the politicization of the matter.

In response, TMC spokesperson Joy Prakash Majumdar dismissed Adhikari's remarks as "preposterous and condemnable," urging BJP leaders to leave the matter to the courts. He emphasized that if the police failed to align arrests with the names provided in the FIR, they would face scrutiny in court, and the case would be addressed in due course.

Legal Action and Ongoing Investigations

Following the attack, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed, seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and invoking the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. This petition, along with other legal proceedings, is set to be heard in the coming week.

Meanwhile, the Governor of West Bengal, C.V. Ananda Bose, called for the culprits to be arrested within 24 hours, highlighting the seriousness of the incident. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who visited Darjeeling, also demanded an urgent report from the state government on the incident.

Trinamool Congress Delegation Protests in Tripura

In a related development, Trinamool Congress has escalated its political fight in Tripura, where party offices were allegedly attacked by BJP workers. A delegation from TMC visited the Tripura Governor’s office on Thursday to submit a memorandum, demanding a judicial inquiry into the October 7 attack on their office in Agartala.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, a member of the delegation, stated that although they could not meet the Governor, they met his secretary to discuss the matter. The delegation's memorandum demands the swift arrest and prosecution of culprits, accountability for law enforcement, and enhanced security for TMC workers in the state. They also urged the state government and law enforcement agencies to reaffirm their constitutional duties to protect opposition parties and safeguard democratic freedoms.