New Delhi : The father of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporter and volunteer Sheikh Abdul Hafeez was beaten to death in West Bengal’s Bankura after a group of assailants allegedly attacked his family, triggering tension in the area. Police have arrested eight people in connection with the incident, while three others have been named in the FIR. The incident occurred on August 13, after Hafeez visited Karishunda Paschimpara Primary School to assess its educational conditions as part of the CJP’s ‘School Theek Karo’ initiative.
Mafik was rescued following police intervention and taken to a nearby health centre. As his condition deteriorated, he was referred to Burdwan Medical College, where he died while undergoing treatment. Hafiz actively participated in CJP’s Jantar Mantar protest. He was subsequently asked by the party to inspect the educational conditions at local schools. Hafiz visited the Karishunda Paschimpara Primary School and met headmaster Kashinath Dey. Dey asked him to come the next day regarding the concerns. The attacks occurred a few hours after the meeting.
Police arrested eight people and named three accused in the FIR. All the arrested individuals were subsequently produced before a district court. The CJP spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, on Sunday criticised the BJP over the killing and extended his support to the victim’s family. He also said that he, along with several other zonal members of the party, will visit the victim’s family in Bankura on Monday. The Indian Youth Congress, meanwhile, extended its support to Hafeez and asked for the immediate arrest of all the accused named in the police FIR.
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. Meanwhile, the BJP government in Bengal dismissed all the allegations that the party members were involved in the violence. Speaking to the reporter on the matter, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikary said that the party had no connection with the killing of Abdul Mafik.
