Tura, Feb 16: In a second instance of mob violence allegedly orchestrated by supporters of the Trinamool Congress for Phulbari, S G Esmatur Mominin, police teams had to rescue two persons who were being severely assaulted by a mob of close to 200 persons in front of the TMC candidate’s house on the night of February 15.
The incident reportedly began, after the TMC supporters resorted to loud and blaring music at around 8 PM which was objected to by the neighbours who pointed out that children were studying and preparing for their exams.
Incited by the complaint, a close relative of the TMC candidate and a history sheeter by the name of Spofiqul Islam alias Bhutto led a group of angry Trinamool supporters and began assaulting the two complainants identified as Md. Joynal Abedin and Md. Aynal Haque.
On being alerted of the assault, a team from Phulbari police station led by Dadenggre Sub divisional police officer rushed to the spot.
According to police, on arrival at the scene they found a mob of over 150 people assembled outside TMC candidate S G Esmatur Mominin’s house and also found the two injured victims who narrated to police how they were assaulted by S G Esmatur mominin’s relative Bhutto and others.
As police took Bhutto into detention, a mob surrounded and attacked the police team managing to free the criminal who was quickly taken away by his supporters. Bhutto was allegedly involved in the February 7th group clash in Charbatapara village where NPP supporters were reportedly attacked. He was arrested and bound down by the court.
After the escape of the instigator, police took another person into custody who was instigating the mob to attack the security forces. But as the team was returning to the station their road was blocked at Bholarbita by another mob of supporters led by the TMC candidate Mominin’s wife Hasina Zaman who forcibly took away the detained person.
Police ultimately left with the two rescued and injured victims and brought them to the Phulbari hospital (PHC) where they found another two more injured persons had come voluntarily on their own seeking medical treatment after being assaulted by the same mob.
One of the victims was a girl child who had sustained a fracture on her leg from the assault and have now been referred to a higher medical centre for treatment.
Reinforcements from Rajabala and Bholarbita outpost have since been deployed in the troubled area of Phulbari while a search continues for the escaped criminals.
While no arrests have so far been made, police have filed a Suo Moto FIR and the injured victims have also filed their own FIRs naming as many as 32 attackers.
One of the reasons identified for the attack was said to be because the victims happened to be NPP supporters and there has been previous history of altercations between them and TMC supporters in the village over political affiliation.
Authorities have also found that when police arrived on the scene to rescue the victims someone allegedly aligned to the TMC posted a message in two Whatsapp groups, namely TMC Phulbari Whatsapp group and TMC District Whatsapp group calling on supporters to come and assemble.
