An old video has surfaced, sparking a political firestorm in Bengal, after showing a brutal assault allegedly perpetrated by associates of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader inside a club in Kamarhati, North 24 Parganas. The incident, reportedly from February 2021, has ignited widespread condemnation.
Two individuals have been taken into custody by the police in relation to the assault. Jayant Singh, linked to TMC MLA Madan Mitra and associated with the club, has been in police custody since his July 4 arrest for another mob assault in Ariadaha.
The video captures individuals identified as Jayant Singh’s associates restraining a victim while others attack them with sticks. Eight people have been identified from the footage, with Guddu and Jugga among those arrested. Jayant Singh is named in the FIR, though The Indian Express has not independently verified the video’s authenticity.
The Barrackpur police commissionerate has launched legal proceedings, indicating their initial investigation suggests the victim is likely male, contrary to initial claims of a female victim. The incident has drawn strong condemnation from BJP’s West Bengal president Sukanta Majumder and local authorities, highlighting the severity of the assault and its implications under a government claiming to champion women’s rights.