Ekbalpore communal violence: NIA filed a chargesheet against 15th accused

The NIA has filed a chargesheet against 15 accused in connection with the West Bengal’s Ekbalpore Communal violence case that pertains to clashes between two communities on October 9, 2022.

In the supplementary charge-sheet on Tuesday, the National investigation agency named a resident of Kolkata’s Khiddirpore, Md Zeeshan Akbar. The charge sheet was filed before a special NIA court in Kolkata.

Earlier in January 2023, the agency has filed a charge sheet against 14 accused in the same case, which pertains to the clash between members of two communities who engaged in brick-batting, stone-pelting and hurled bombs at each other.

A statement of the NIA reads that, “The mob also disrupted the electricity supply in the area and prevented the Police Personnel from entering Gali No. 8, Bhukailash Road, Kolkata to control the riots. The mob also assaulted Police Personnel causing injuries to one of the police personnel.”

The statement further claims that, the members of the two communities also discouraged police officers from carrying out their official duties by physically assaulting them, damaging vehicles parked nearby, and attacking police officers in the jurisdiction of Ekbalpore Police Station in Kolkata.

The case was originally filed on October 10, 2022 at the Ekbalpur Police Station in Kolkata, West Bengal, and was re-filed by the NIA on October 18, last year.

Those earlier named in the charge sheet included Md Fakruddin Siddique, Md Salauddin Siddique, Md Sahabuddin Siddique, Md Idul Siddique, Md Ziauddin, Badrul Hossain, Ohab Hossain, Mustafa Hussain, Zakir Hossain, Gholam Md Izhar, Md Faiyaz, Sunny, Raju and Imamul Haque.

All the 15 accused have been charged under the IPC sections 120B, 147, 149, 152, 332, 353 and 436 and Sections 3 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.