Birbhum massacre: CBI arrests slain TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh’s brother

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested the brother of slain Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader whose murder led to the March 21 massacre at Bogtui village in Bengal’s Birbhum district, officials said.

CBI said, Jahangir Sheikh, the younger brother of TMC panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh, was nabbed late Tuesday night after a tip-off.

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TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh was killed near his residence on March 21 and in revenge, his supporters, including his younger brother allegedly massacred 10 people in Bengal’s Birhum. Of the 10 victims, nine were women.

According to the CBI, Jahangir Sheikh returned to Bogtui village after staying underground for months after the March 21 incident. “He shaved his head and moustache to avoid detection but we received information about his whereabouts and nabbed him,” said officials.

Jahangir was brought to a special court in Birbhum’s Rampurhat town on Wednesday where the court remanded him CBI custody for six days.

The charge sheet CBI filed in June said Bhadu Sheikh’s murder was the fallout of rivalry between him and his associates over dubious land deals, illegal businesses and share of extortion money.

The CBI also arrested one Lalan Sheikh, another suspect in the Birhum massacre, from Jharkhand on Sunday.

In August, the agency arrested seven others for taking part in the arson at the time of violence.

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Meanwhile, the CBI, which has submitted its charge sheet at the Rampurhat court has also named one Anarul Hossain, another accused and former Rampurhat community block-1unit president of the TMC, saying that Hossain not only ordered the massacre but also supervised it while keeping the police away.

The 1,192-page charge sheet mentioned eyewitness accounts, security camera footage and statements given by two of the three women who had died of burn injuries at Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital after the incident.

Now in judicial custody, Hossain was arrested by the state police at chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions on March 24. He was charged with murder, arson, rioting and criminal conspiracy.

Bhadu Sheikh, the deputy chief of the local TMC-controlled Barshal gram panchayat was killed in a bomb attack near Bogtui around 8.20 pm on March 21. This triggered a retaliatory attack planned by Hossain, the charge sheet by CBI mentioned.