West Bengal Muslim man’s killing part of organized post-poll violence: Fact-finding report
Kolkata: A fact-finding report by an Indian civil rights organization has concluded that the killing of a 71-year-old Muslim man by Hindutva men in West Bengal state was part of a wider pattern of post-election violence and intimidation that has left residents living in fear.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the report, released earlier this week by the New Delhi-based Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), investigated the killing of Shah Aalam, a daily-wage laborer from Kelepara village in Hooghly district.
The report said Shah Aalam, the sole breadwinner of his family, was dragged out of his home by a group of men and brutally assaulted with bamboo sticks, wooden objects, bricks and stones. Women who attempted to save him were threatened and forced back. He later succumbed to his injuries at a government hospital in Arambagh.
The victim’s family said that the attackers were BJP supporters who targeted Shah Aalam after accusing him of supporting the opposition All India Trinamool Congress.
The APCR said the family has faced persistent threats, intimidation and extortion demands since the assembly elections. Investigators also documented an atmosphere of fear, with many residents unwilling to speak publicly due to fear of reprisals.
The report said the killing was preceded by a series of violent attacks in the village, including an assault on Abdul Rahim on June 3 that left him with fractured legs after he was beaten with bamboo sticks and wooden objects.
Describing the incidents as part of an escalating campaign of targeted violence, APCR said the murder of Shah Aalam has deepened fear among the local Muslim community and plunged his family into severe financial hardship.
The report said Pursurah Police Station have registered a case and arrested six suspects. APCR urged the authorities to apprehend the remaining accused, ensure a fair and time-bound investigation, file the chargesheet without delay, and provide compensation, security and rehabilitation to the victim’s family.
