‘Burnt documents, Mahatma’s bust vandalised’: Inside the ransacked Chakulia BDO office in West Bengal

Outside the BDO office,  a group of men and women, who had been issued notices by the Election Commission as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were waiting for the hearings to begin. On one corner of the building, officials were seen issuing domicile certificates, an essential document for the SIR verification exercise. Meanwhile, armed police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were in guard.

While local BDO Sujay Dhar and SDO Ankita Aggarwal, who were present inside the building, remained tightlipped on Wednesday’s violence, a staff member said the birth and death section of the office bore the brunt of the mob violence.

“We had over four to five hundred domicile certificates that were inside a room which was set on fire… Around 9.30 am, the unruly mob attacked the  BDO office. They first attacked police forces, and then they entered the premises. One after another they ransacked Rupasree-Kanyasree office, welfare section, pension scheme section, two offices of Bangla Sahayata Kendra, disaster management department and many others departments. They set on fire not only documents but also computers and other equipment… Police remained helpless. Around 12 noon, the Superintendent of Police entered with force and took the situation under control,” Ratan Shaw, who works in the BDO office, told The Indian Express.

Taraknath Das, who runs a canteen inside the BDO office, like many other officials, could not reach the office on Thursday due to road blockades. “I have been running this canteen since 1995, but have never seen such an incident inside the BDO office. They ransacked our canteen also,” said Taraknath.

“Why target the canteen? What is the connection with the SIR? People only eat here. Our table, chair, and utensils were broken. We don’t know how we will run the canteen,” said his assistant Kalpana Das.

Police have so far arrested 19 people, 15 for the mob violence and four in connection with an FIR registered by the local TMC president.

Among the 15 arrested for mob violence is local TMC panchayat, who along with two others were sent to six days police custody. The remaining 12 were sent to judicial custody by a local court in Islampur on Friday. In the second case, all four persons were sent to three days police custody.

However, many of the arrested person’s family denied any connection with violence. Khaleda Begum, wife of Abdul Moziz (46), said, “We had gone to my paternal home at Chorakothi on Wednesday and returned from there on Thursday evening. But the police lifted him on Thursday night. He has no link with this violence as he was with me.”

Father of Noor Mohammed (20), Osman Ali, a resident of Bijliya, said, “My son returned from a Jalsa Thursday night. When he was unloading his shop’s goods, police suddenly came and took him. Later, we came to know that he was arrested. How is it possible as he was not here at all during the mob violence.”

Meanwhile, outside the BDO office uncertainty remained over the SIR hearings.

Chandan Singh (40) had travelled with his 60-year-old sister-in-law Alo Devi from Balsarpur village, which is 7.5 km from the BDO office, for the SIR hearing. “My sister-in-law has been summoned for hearing as her name was not in the 2002 SIR list. Her name in the land document was Talo Devi. So, we came today with the domicile certificate to appear in the hearing. But the hearing is not taking place today,” said Singh.

Subodh Biswas (45) also had travelled 14 km from Sehar village for the SIR hearing. “My wife’s name was not in the 2002 SIR list. So, I came to show her father’s land documents. But, I think I have to come here again as today no hearing is taking place at the BDO office,” said Biswas.

Late on Friday, a fresh protest erupted in the Sujali area of Islampur block, about 20 kms from Goalpokhar BDO office, with protesters blocking the state highway over the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission had deleted over 58 lakh names from the draft roll, and has so far issued notice to over 78 lakh electors, who have been summoned to local BDO office with their documents for hearing.