West Bengal Police arrested Lahak Ali, a local Communist Party of India leader, from Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district on Sunday night in connection with the July 5 murder and vandalism case following the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, police officials familiar with the details said.
“Ali has been arrested as the prime suspect in the killings and sabotage. He is suspected of inciting the mob. He will be produced in court on Monday,” a district police officer said, requesting anonymity.
Ali was the CPI(M) candidate from Baruipur West seat in the recent assembly polls but was won by Trinamool Congress’s Biman Banerjee. The Bharatiya Janata Party came second in the race.
About 40 people were earlier arrested in separate cases linked to the death of the minor girl, the lynching of Indrajit Mondal, a local resident, and destruction of private and government properties during the mob violence.
A rape and murder suspect was killed in a police standoff when he snatched a gun from an officer and tried to run away after being taken to the crime scene around midnight on July 7 to simulate the crime, police said. The Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the encounter.
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that Ali’s arrest was politically motivated.
“A lot of misinformation has been spread against Ali since the girl’s death. If someone is declared guilty even before they are arrested, it becomes clear that the investigation has been affected. But we will fight it legally,” he said.
Ali was arrested a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday that those who lost the elections could be involved in lynchings.
“Indrajit Mondal was targeted and killed because of his name and identity. I cannot call it just a case of lynching by mob. Some people who were rejected by voters in the elections played a major role in inciting violence. Extremist and fundamentalist groups could also be behind this. I am not ruling it out,” Adhikari told the media in Baruipur on Saturday during a visit to the Mondal family.
The little girl disappeared on July 4th. Her body was recovered from the pond the next day. The police investigation and autopsy report showed that she had been raped and murdered. Following the incident, a mob lynched Mondal. Adhikari had earlier said that police investigations had confirmed that Mondal was not at all involved in the rape and murder of the minor.
“We cannot bring Indrajit back to life but his killers will be punished. Those who tortured and killed my little sister will also face consequences as per the law,” the Prime Minister said on Saturday.
