Protest against bail of molester grows violent in Chengail

Police van ransacked; 2 arrested 

Following the unexpected release of Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi (culprit of molesting Shilpi – student of Class IV at Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir) and unwillingness of both school authority and police to ensure safety of girl students in the locality, simmering anger of people burst out on July 31 morning when local youths brought out a protest march against brazen developments. Local youths went to both Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir and Chengail Sri Vidyaniketan High School (opened after Panchayat election and counting) to close down the two educational institutions as a mark of protest. Even if an examination was going on in the high school, school authority folded the institution to support the protest march.

It has been learnt, local police was phoned repeatedly to be a witness to the protest. But their late arrival proved to be enough to deteriorate the situation. The infuriated mob terming the late arrival as reluctance, grew violent and damaged the main gate of Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir within minutes. Police vans couldn't evade this intense anger as well; windowpane of a police vehicle was damaged. 

Then large contingent of police and RAF deployed in the area. Gourab Dey and Bablu Dhara were arrested by P.S. Uluberia. In evening massive raids were conducted in houses of Hindu localities of Chengail by police. Hindus are scared to stay home at night. Situation is tense.

Minor student of Chengail primary school brutally molested

Bail of culprit creates uproar

As Shilpi (name changed) was talking to this scribe, she was just shivering while her eyes were moistened as well – perhaps this was due to her bleak future following instruction of her parents that she would not attend the school where she was happy till the morning of July 25, 2013. Shilpi of age 14 is a student of Class IV at Chengail Kiran Sashi Siksha Mandir where she was brutally molested at 10.30 am on the same day by Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi, son of Rashid Munshi and living in a village of Chengail, P.S. Uluberia. District: Howrah.

It has been learnt, Lalbabu Munshi went to the school at 10.20 am on last Thursday (July 25) alleging that his son is also a student of the same school. On the fateful morning, Shilpi went to the school with her sister earlier and the culprit, exploiting absence of students then, went to the classroom directly, asked Shilpi to take care of his son. When Shilpi agreed, he took her into the classroom forcefully and molested by touching her private parts. Once Shilpi burst into tears and also seeing teachers entering the school premises, Lalbabu fled. Later Shilpi narrated the ghastly experience to her school friends viz. Neha Khatun, Hafiza Khatun And Khusbu Khatun and went to the room of Dilip Pramanik, Teacher-in-Charge.

Attitude of Shilpi made Mr. Pramanik smell a rat and due to his insistence, the whole story was narrated to him. Without wasting time, he phoned Bashu Pandit – Councilor of Samuipara of Uluberia Municipality.  Bashu reached the school the school within a few minutes and apprehending intensity of the development, they contacted the local police station of Uluberia. They were called by the police to lodge an official complaint; Mr. Pramanik went there along with Shilpi and her father, Uttam (name changed) living in village: Khalisani (Purbapara), P.S. Uluberia. Meanwhile, the police team entered the school premises and based on accounts of Neha, Hafiza and Khusbu, arrested Mohammad Lalbabu Munshi of age 38 years.

An FIR (620 dated 27/07/2013 under sections 354A IPC) was lodged by Shilpi’s father but Lalbabu Munshi was bailed out on the next day allegedly under pressure from powerful quarter. He has been seen to roam freely in the area and more confidently than before.    

The bail of Lalbabu has shocked Shilpi’s family and hence, at present they are in a trauma almost. Bail has also appalled other guardians in the school, especially of Khusbu, Hafiza and Neha. Guardians are escorting their wards to the school daily sacrificing their own professions.

The bail has created a furor in the neighborhood.

Story of Mohammed Ali Chisti

Mohammed Ali Chisti, earlier Suresh Sahu, a new convert to Islam and resident of Hari Pal Lane, Kolkata – 700 006 has become the center of attention in his neighborhood and it is not only for he is going to organize Hazrat Astana Sharif Urs Mubarak marking the establishment of mazaar in his own residence. The way he propagates Islamic culture in the Hindu neighborhood has vexed his neighbors also and as per them, during the celebration of Urs on each year the demographic character of the area changes highly. Intrusion of truckloads of Muslims from other areas remains the main factor in this context.

According to locals, Suresh Sahu and his wife (originally from Orissa) were party members of CPIM while living in Sodapara or Sankharipara and with that support he entered Hari Pal Lane in 1999. He purchased a residence there and in the initial years, he was found to be congenial. But the situation changed in 2009 due to a police intervention. It was learnt that he deceived bank loans worth Rs. 1.5 crores; following the intervention of administration his residence and bank accounts were confiscated.  Suresh virtually disappeared from the area following the pandemonium.    

Suresh was spotted again in 2012 but with a new identity – as a Muslim individual and with a new name Mohammed Ali Chisti. And to prove his own Muslim identity, he created a mazaar in his residence. However, when he was asked by his neighbors of the reason that prompted him to convert to Islam, he answered quickly that it was the result of his own search for salvation and also that he was instructed by PirBaba of mazaar at Moulali, Sealdah in Kolkata. 

Nowadays, all Islamic festivals are celebrated at this house with splendor even if his wife and children are Hindu still.

Youths beaten up mercilessly in Chandannagar while attackers roam freely

On 26th April at 8.30 pm, Bikram Hela, son of late Ramesh Hela, was going from Urdibazar to Jhaubagan Gali, P.S. Chandannagar in Hooghly district on a bike.  He was accompanied by two friends, Rama Hela, son of Raju Hela and Issu Harijan, son of Chandra Harijan. On their way, they were obstructed by a few bullies belonging to the Muslim community of Urdibazar. The gang was led by Sheikh Anwar, who is also the president of the minority cell of Trinamool Congress party. Even if Bikram and his friends pleaded with Anwar and his fellows to let them go, they failed to impress them. Suddenly a local goon named Sheikh Mannan struck Issu Harijan with a glass bottle after which he fell down and started bleeding profusely. Both Bikram and Rama were stunned at the intensity of the assault and tried to defend him from the goons. Following this, Sheikh Munna and Sheikh Helpo started assaulting all of them. At the same time, a group of Muslim youths led by Sheikh Parvez came out of Star Club located close to the place of the attack. The group carried assault items like iron rods, swords and pounced upon the three of them.

All three of the victims sustained heavy injuries and their belongings including wrist watches, gold bracelets and chains were looted. But this was not all; the hooligans attacked the residences of Bikram, Rama and Issu later on, molested women there and Sheikh Anwar also desecrated the deities. The group left the place while warning that any report to the police would have dire consequences. But Bikram went to Chandannagar police station defying all threats to file a complain against the criminals. After the attack, the victims were sent to Chandannagar sub-divisional hospital and with the medical reports, Bikram Hela lodged an FIR against Sheikh Mannan, Sheikh Munna, Sheikh Helpo, Sheikh Parvez and others  (FIR No. 92/13 dated 26/04/2013 under sections 41/325/326/379/354B/295A/506/34 of the Indian Penal Code). According to locals, the assault was to prevent Hindus from participating in the following Ram Navami while it is rumored that the other side believes the entire incident to be a fallout of a love affair. Although the police had arrested all the assaulters, they were bailed out promptly with good help from local political leaders.

Hindu Activist hounded out from residence in Rajarhat

Uttering words of protest against injustice and expressing one’s own opinion (as a citizen of India and also according to the Fundamental Rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India) has become a bane in Bengal these days and what is being done to the protestor can be said none except Santanu Basak, s/o late Tapan Basak, inhabiting village: Choto Chandpur, P.S. Rajarhat, District: 24 Paraganas (North), at the moment.

Santanu is known as General Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Block: Rajarhat and at the moment, he is fleeing his own residence with the entire family. His residence was assaulted, dashed while his wife, daughter were molested by a large group of 5,000 Islamists on July 5, 2013 at 9 pm. Sanatnu strived to publish a leaflet questioning whether Barasat, following spate of recent attacks on Hindu women – especially gang rape and murder of Shipra Ghosh in Kamduni, has turned into a mini Pakistan.

What the handbill expressed was nothing except basic truth haunting millions of Hindus in the state now. It pointed out that the dominance of Muslim radicals in Barasat is not anything abrupt but the fallout of devilish policies of both CPIM and the reigning governance to deprive Hindus and oust them eventually.     

Even if the distribution of flyers among commoners witnessed a great success, the hardiness of Santanu with straight info in the handbill irked both Islamists and local administration highly. As a result, his residence along with whole family became aim of the violent attack for which they had to flee.

Local police administration failed to assure him security in the area from the Muslim goons. These protesting and attacking Muslims do not think it proper or necessary to lodge any complaint, if any, against Santanu Basak for publishing and distributing the said leaflet with the competent authority. They took law in their own hands. This is common feature all over West Bengal nowadays, and people are accustomed to live with it.

Strikingly, the armed, violent pack of Islamists was led by Muslim radicals, termed as absconders by the police and administration till date. Some of these absconders are Yaar Ali Mandal, Abdul Mandal, Entaj Gazi, Tapan Islam, Salim Gain, Rashid Mandal, Sabir Mandal and against all of them Santanu Basak lodged an FIR No. 152/12 dtd. 27/10/2012 under sections 4/5 of West Bengal Animal Slaughters Control Act, 1950 for slaughtering cows intentionally to hurt Hindu sentiment within the premises of village: Choto Chandpur Mallikati.

None of the above-mentioned felons has been arrested yet (remaining as absconders to police) but all of them were reportedly present in the assault on Santanu Basak and his family.  

Mayhem in Dogachia, Nadia following rape of Hindu housewife

The recent assault and rape of Joba, a 35 year old resident of Dogachia village, P.O. Nakashipara, P.S. Nakashipara of Nadia by Haider Ali of the same village have brought forward the miseries of the entire Hindu community who appear to be living on the edge. The Hindus, represented by 70 odd household out of a total of over 1500, complain of police high-handedness and repression with no hope of justice. On 30^th June at around 11 am, Joba (name changed) was on her way to the toilet in the nearby paddy field. Unnoticed by the victim, 32 year old Haider Ali, son of Wasaf Sheikh, followed her and while she was returning, Haider grabbed and dragged her back the field. Even though she put up strong resistance, Haider came out too strong and the victim was subsequently overpowered after he broke her right leg with a bamboo stick. Haider eventually raped her and fled. Even though she was terribly injured, Joba managed to raise an alarm and hearing the same, neighboring Hindus from nearby houses rushed to the spot. Without wasting time, they ran after Haider but could not find him as he managed to flee. To save the situation, a team of police entered the village at that time but the sexual assault of Joba was too much for the Hindus to watch silently. When they decided to protest the incident, the police asked them to stop the agitation immediately. Following this, the situation worsened dramatically and resulted in a clash between protesters and the police.  In the ensuing chaos, the windowpane of the police van was broken. 

Even though Haider Ali was arrested the next day from nearby Palashi village, miseries of the members of the Hindu community in general continue to exist. The oppression results not only from Islamist leaders who enjoy the backing of the opportunist political leaders eyeing electoral votes of the majority Muslims of the village but also from the police themselves. The fear is so palpable that male members of Hindu families, including children, have been forced to flee. As fresh reports come in, the police continue to harass the Hindus. Swapan Ghosh, a local leader and key protester against the ravishment of Joba, has been thrashed mercilessly and is now on the run while Joba has been admitted to the district hospital at Shaktinagar in a critical condition. A first information report (FIR No. 585) dated June 30 has been lodged against Haider but Hindus in the village continue to have sleepless nights yet. 

Amta market confrontation ruled by communal overtone

A recent fracas at Kaltala More market in Amta, Howrah threw the administration out of gear for hours posing questions on the fast changing and precarious reality in the state. On 5th June, 2013, at 5 pm in the local market a burqa-clad woman was caught red-handed while stealing litchis from a fruit stall that was owned by another woman. The development led to a wild altercation between the two, which finally snapped when the fruit seller slapped the female thief. Without losing time, the burqa-clad woman phoned his acquaintances and within the next 30 minutes no less than 100 hooligans belonging to the Muslim community reached the spot from surrounding areas like Khainan, Gazipur, Deora, Chanderpur and started a mayhem. From the onset they were trying to exploit the detached silence of the neighbourhood and this got apparent when hoodlums started raising slogans to avenge an apparent insult of a Muslim woman by raising communally charged slogans. When the situation was fast moving out of control, other shopkeepers, sensing more trouble in the offing, unanimously came to the fore to stop the situation from worsening. Initially there was a heated argument between the two groups but it gave way to a direct confrontation pretty soon. Shopkeepers simply thrashed the hooligans with sticks of night guards in the area following which they made a hasty retreat.

But a complaint regarding the retaliatory attack by shop owners was lodged by Muslim youths the next day at the Amta police station. On the same evening, I.C. of police station went to Kaltala More market and warned the shopkeepers there of stern action if incident like this occurred in the future. The officer also instructed the shopkeepers that instead of thrashing, they should have handed the female thief over to the police station. And as a token punishment, the female fruit seller was ordered to shut down her shop. This act of gross injustice did not go down well with the rest of the shop owners who sensed a communal angle to the harsh sentence. The shopkeepers were so infuriated that they virtually chased the police team away from spot. The police team was smart enough to appreciate the mood of the market and fled from the scene almost instantly. Later on in the night, all shopkeepers of the market went to the Amta police station and protested against the nexus between police and offenders belonging to the Muslim community, specifically against the I.C. of Amta police station.