Police arrested four more persons, including two prime accused, in connection with the death of a girl in a bomb explosion in Kaliganj in Nadia district of West Bengal, a senior officer said on Saturday.
Two persons -- Rahibul Sheikh and Nabab Sheikh were arrested from Berhampore while two others were held from Katwa in Purba Bardhaman during raids on Friday night, he said.
"These people were named in the FIR in the Kaliganj blast case. We arrested them last night, and they will be produced in court today. We will start questioning them soon," the police officer said.
All four have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including for rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, and culpable homicide, among others, he added.
On June 23 afternoon, 13-year-old Tamanna Khatun was killed in Molandi village of Kaliganj after bombs were allegedly hurled from a Trinamool Congress victory celebration rally taken out even before the results of the assembly bypoll were officially announced.
Earlier, five persons were arrested from the locality for their involvement in the issue.
Tamanna’s parents — homemaker Sabina Seikh and migrant labourer Hossain Seikh — vowed to pursue every possible course of action to ensure that their daughter’s killers faced the harshest possible punishment. Demanding a CBI probe into their daughter’s death, they declared having lost all faith in the state police.
“The initial reaction of the police was good. But it won’t last long. Once the protests die down, everything will go back to what it was. Our daughter would not have been killed if the police hadn’t remained indifferent and acted on time. We had been facing repeated threats and attacks from the Trinamool for being CPM supporters,” said an inconsolable Sabina.
She alleged that for over a decade, goons patronised by the TMC unleashed a reign of terror in the area, emboldened by police inaction.
“Even police officers weren’t spared by these goons. Yet the administration did little to restore confidence among people who want to live peacefully, no matter what their political beliefs,” she added, explaining why she had no faith in the state police and wanted a CBI inquiry.
Her husband Hossain echoed her sentiments, questioning the credibility of the police and vowing to do everything in his power to get justice for his daughter.
“I want a CBI inquiry so that nothing remains uncovered and no one is spared. I don’t trust the police. I will knock on every door for justice for my daughter,” said Hossain, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Krishnanagar police have so far arrested four key accused out of the 24 named in the FIR. Local sources confirmed that all four are TMC activists.
They were produced at a Krishnanagar court on Tuesday, which remanded them in police custody for six days.
