Eight arrested after Cockroach Janta Party volunteer's father beaten to death in Bengal
PTC News Desk: The father of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporter and volunteer Sheikh Abdul Hafeez was allegedly beaten to death in West Bengal’s Bankura district after a group of attackers targeted his family. The incident has created tension in the area. Police have arrested eight people in connection with the case, while three accused have been named in the FIR.
The incident took place on August 13 after Hafeez visited Karishunda Paschimpara Primary School to check its educational conditions as part of the CJP’s “School theek karo” campaign. He had met the school’s headmaster, Kashinath Dey, who asked him to return the next day to discuss the concerns.
A few hours later, a group of people allegedly entered Hafeez’s house at night and attacked his family with sticks, iron rods and crowbars. Hafeez was also attacked but managed to escape. His father, Sheikh Mohammad Mafik, was then allegedly beaten up.
Police intervened and took Mafik to a nearby health centre. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to Burdwan Medical College, where he died during treatment.
Meanwhile, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka criticised the BJP over the incident and expressed support for the victim’s family. He said he and other party members would visit Hafeez’s family in Bankura on Monday and appealed to party workers and other political groups to stand with the family.
"Abdul (Hafiz) was with us in the Jantar Mantar protest from day one. He wanted to repair the primary school in his locality. When he returned home after talking to the authorities, he was attacked by the BJP goons. When his father intervened, the assailants also beat him up. As a result, he died," Ranka said in a video shared on his X account.
The Indian Youth Congress has also extended legal support to Hafeez and his family and demanded the immediate arrest of all those named in the police FIR.
In a post on X, the Youth Congress wrote, "In Bankura, West Bengal, highlighting the dilapidated condition of a government school has turned into a fatal crime for a young man and his family. 25-year-old Abdul Hafiz brought to light the dire state of his school. Following this, BJP goons attacked his home, in which his father, Abdul Mafiq was seriously injured and died during treatment. The IYC team is on the ground with Hafiz and his family, providing every legal and necessary assistance."
- PTC NEWS
