One of the main suspects in the murder of Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh, which led to the March 21 massacre at Bogtui village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and his name is Faizul alias Palash, according to reports.
The massacre claimed the lives of ten people, nine of whom were women, and one of them was eight years old. Three homes were burned down by a mob.
Faizul fled for a period of seven months. When he went back home to visit his family early on Wednesday, the CBI arrested him, a police officer with knowledge of the detention said on condition of anonymity. According to his attorney, Abdul Bari, he was remanded in custody by the CBI for eight days.
Residents of Bogtui claim that Sheikh and Faizul were once business partners before a disagreement arose over profit-sharing. Sona Sheikh, a key suspect in the murder, was arrested in September.
In accordance with the Calcutta High Court’s instructions, the CBI is also looking into the massacre. The first charge sheet in the case was submitted on June 20, after four of the ten suspects in Sheikh’s murder were arrested. Following directives from the high court, the CBI opened a murder case on April 8.
