The Nadia police on Tuesday night arrested two suspects in the killing of Tamanna Khatun, a six-year-old who died exactly a year ago during a bypoll victory celebration with bombs by alleged supporters of Bengal’s then-ruling party, the Trinamool Congress.
Sabir Sheikh and Jiarul Sheikh were arrested from a hideout in neighbouring Murshidabad, hours after Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari assured Tamanna’s mother, Sabina Yasmin, of justice.
The arrested duo will be produced in court later on Wednesday.
Police sources said instructions were issued to speed up the probe in the year-long case soon after the CM spoke with the mother.
So far, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the case.
“Every crime committed during the previous regime will be examined,” Adhikari had announced in the Assembly on Tuesday. “We will identify each and every case of atrocity against women to ensure justice.”
He had added: “We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards crime against women.”
Tamanna’s mother, Sabina, who unsuccessfully contested this year’s Bengal Assembly polls, thanked the chief minister.
“I have repeatedly said the culprits are in safe custody of the police,” she told reporters in Kaliganj. “The Trinamool Congress and the administration had sheltered my daughter’s killers. The CM had assured me but I did not think action would be so swift. I expect the others involved in my daughter’s death will also be arrested soon. The people of Bengal have not seen the head of the state act with such alacrity in a long while. Tamanna will get justice.”
On Tuesday, Sabina Yasmin had met Adhikari at his office in the Assembly, along with CPM MLA Mustafizur Rahman and CPM leader Minakshi Mukherjee.
The family had named 24 people in the FIR filed with the Kaliganj police station. In July last year, the state police had filed a 340-page chargesheet against 10 people.