Behind charred bodies in Bengal, rags to riches, nexus of crime and TMC politics

Bhadu Sheikh’s three-storied house has power written on its wall. Painted off-white with a blue border, the colours of the TMC, it has a hardware shop on its premises and is barely a 15-minute walk from a tiny store where Bhadu worked, over 10 years ago, as a driver transporting chicken to local streetside vendors.

The family members of the victims in Bogtui village on Thursday. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)

Today, his house, just steps away from the residence of the Sub Divisional Police Officer of Rampurhat, his fleet of four SUVs — two are reportedly used by staff of the local police station — together with his stakes in a string of businesses, including a nursing home, are a testament to his remarkable rise up the rungs that many say was also behind his murder.

In 2010, when Bhadu, the fourth of six sons of Marfas Sheikh, worked as a driver, his brothers were daily wage labourers. A fellow driver at the store, Bhadre Sheikh, recalled that their salary was Rs 5000 a month plus Rs 150 each day for meals.

File photo of Bhadu Sheikh.

“Later on, he began to drive cars of the police station (Rampurhat). This changed him a lot,” said Bhadre Sheikh. “He knew how to make connections.” Said local advocate of Rampurhat court Abdul Bari: “Everybody in Rampurhat is aware how Bhadu rose to political and financial power and his link to local crime.”

Bhadu’s current and former associates, local police and administration officials, tell the story of Bhadu’s rise and rise since he joined the TMC in 2012.

At that time, Bhadu got close to Angur Sheikh, another local resident, and both, according to police officials who did not wish to be named, were part of the “syndicate” linked to several cases of alleged extortion and landgrab.

However, the falling out happened in the 2013 Panchayat polls when Angur’s wife contested on a Congress ticket while Bhadu’s wife Tabila Bibi contested as a TMC candidate. Angur’s wife won and Bhadu and his family had to leave the village for a few months. But since TMC had won the Gram Panchayat – and Congress got just one village seat — Bhadu was back and, with his TMC workers, this time forced the Angur family out.

At least eight houses were set on fire in Birbhum on Monday night. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)

He became the de facto Gram Panchayat member of Bagtui village and, according to multiple residents, pulled all strings in the local TMC hierarchy. Bhadu’s “syndicate” allegedly spread to areas under the three police stations of Rampurhat, Nalhati and Margram. It reportedly collected fees and collected payoffs from illegal sand mining on the banks of Brahmani and Dwarka rivers that flow through Rampurhat.

In December 2016, after the Assembly polls, Rajesh Sheikh, brother of Angur Sheikh, was murdered near Tarapith. Among the suspects, police said, was Bhadu along with his syndicate members Palash Sheikh and Sona Sheikh. Mihilal Sheikh, brother-in-law of Sona Sheikh whose family members were charred to death said, “His name was definitely in the list of accused persons in the Rajesh murder case. If police had properly done its work then, Bhadu’s name would have come up in many other murder cases.”

Said Shubhashish Chowdhury, district president of BJP: “Bhadu Sheikh was the mastermind of post-poll violence and murder.”

At Bogtui village in Birbhum. (Express Photo: Partha Paul)

By 2018, Bhadu and his syndicate’s power and reach had spread. Opposition parties alleged he did not allow nominations to be filed and won the Panchayat polls unopposed to become the Deputy Pradhan of Barsal panchayat.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sanjib Mallick, lone CPM councillor in Rampurhat Municipality, said: “During the Panchayat election of 2018, TMC entrusted Bhadu and his gang to prevent Opposition parties from filing nomination in and around of Rampurhat. Such was his muscle power.”

Rampurhat is a major conduit for trucks laden with sand, basalt (stones), coal and cattle. At many a checkpost meant to screen vehicles for overloading and permits, members of the Bhadu-controlled syndicate sit and allegedly pocket “illegal fees.”

Trouble for Bhadu came in January 2021 when his brother Babur was killed. Though Angur Sheikh and others were accused in the case, Bhadu also suspected his long-time syndicate members Palash Sheikh and Sona Sheikh.

In June 2021, Bhadu’s name, along with those of Palash and Sona, came up in the murder case of one Bapi Mondol. While Bhadu got away, Sona and Palash were sent to custody, said CPM District Secretariat member Sanjib Burman. They spent three months in jail before being bailed out. They, however, could not return to Bagtui and settled in Margram area. Their family members, mostly women and children, however stayed back in Bagtui – becoming victims of the attack this week.

It was the relatives of Sona Sheikh who were allegedly murdered in retaliation after Bhadu’s murder, charred to death in Sona’s house. Also killed was Sona’s distant relative in another house.

When asked about Bhadu’s syndicate and allegations of corruption, Bhadu’s wife Tabila told The Indian Express:“What my husband did and whatever he has earned he has shared with everybody including our co-workers. Monthly, Rs 20-40,000 were given to people like Sona Sheikh, Palash Sheikh and others who were with my husband for years. He did a lot for the party too. But look how Sona and others repaid him. We suspect they were behind my husband’s brother (Babar) murder in January 2021. They were jealous that my husband became (Deputy) pradhan and earned good money through his businesses.”

Speaking to The Indian Express after Bhadu’s murder, Jahangir, his brother said: “Threat calls used to come to him and me that (Bhadu) has grown too big for his shoes. Such a call came even on Monday, a day before his murder.”

The Indian Express called up several district leaders of TMC including Ashish Banerjee (Deputy Speaker and MLA of Rampurhat), and Bikash Roy Chowdhury (Sabhadhipati of Zila Parishad) but they were unavailable for comment. A spokesman of the newly appointed block president of TMC of Rampurhat -1 block, Syed Siraj, declined to comment.Despite repeated calls, SP Nagendranath Tripathi was unavailable for comment.