Artisans’ death in Rajkot: Mamata Banerjee assures CID probe

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday assured the families of the two artisans from Purba Bardhman who were allegedly beaten to death in Rajkot of a CID probe into the incident.

She also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each of the deceased.

The two artisans, Rahul Farsad Sheikh and Suman alias Minu, hailed from Natunchar area of Kalna in Purba Bardhman district of West Bengal.

The CM made the assurance while virtually inaugurating Durga Puja pandals in the state. Condemning the incident, the chief minister said, ‘The brutal killing of the two sons of Kalna cannot be accepted in any way.’ She then advised the families of the deceased workers to lodge a complaint at the local police station. ‘The case will be handed over to the CID. Just as there are migrant workers from Bengal in other states, there are also many migrant workers in this state,’ the CM said.

On October 13, Rahul Farsad Sheikh and Suman alias Minu were allegedly beaten to death over a suspected theft of 100 gm of silver at a jewellery-making unit in Rajkot.

A day later, nine men, including the owner of a jewellery-making unit in Rajkot, were arrested by the police. The accused included Sagar Savaliya, proprietor of MBS Ornaments – the jewellery-making unit on Bhavnagar Road.

The others arrested are MBS Ornaments managers Vipul alias Pintu Moliya, Himalay alias Jignesh Kiyada and Dhruvin alias Dhaval Hapaliya; security guard Pushpendra and his brother Shailendra; labour contractors Tanmay Bengali and Pradeep Bengali as well as Bhikha Dadal, a man who identifies himself as a journalist.

The nine men and four to five unidentified Bengal artisans have been booked under sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 348 (wrongful confinement), 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to confine person) 143 (unlawful assembly), 146 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 34 (criminal act done by several person in furtherance of the common intent of all) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed) of the Indian Penal Code.