Kolkata Police arrested five individuals on Thursday in connection with an alleged conspiracy to vandalize the residence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The plot was reportedly orchestrated through a WhatsApp group named ‘We Want Justice,’ where a voice clip inciting members to gather at Kalighat, a neighborhood in south Kolkata, and execute the plan was circulated.
The individual behind the creation of the audio clip, Subham Sen Sharma, was among those detained. The clip contained explicit threats to vandalize Banerjee’s home and suggested that doing so would force her resignation. In the audio, Sharma allegedly stated, “Don’t need to go to Nabanna (the Secretariat), do one thing, let’s go to Kalighat all together and vandalize. Following this, Mamata Banerjee will be sided automatically. She will be resigning herself. She has fear in mind.” He further provoked the group by questioning the duration of police protection at Kalighat, suggesting that the police presence would be insufficient to counter the group’s numbers. “How long will the police protect Kalighat? One hour? Two hours? How many cops will come? Hardly 20-30? We have many more men. Don’t take pressure, come to Kalighat, we are also going,” Sharma reportedly said.
Four others, including the creator and the admin of the WhatsApp group, were also taken into custody for their alleged involvement in this conspiracy. These arrests were made based on information received from sources that led the police to believe a serious threat was posed to the Chief Minister’s residence.
Additionally, Kolkata Police arrested Prabir, a leader of the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj, a recently established student organization. His arrest is linked to the violent events at the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally that took place in Kolkata earlier this week. The rally was organized by the Chhatra Samaj to march to the Secretariat and demand the resignation of Mamata Banerjee over the recent rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor. The protest escalated into violence, with clashes breaking out between the police and demonstrators, resulting in injuries and multiple arrests.
The protests, which continued for several hours, saw over 200 people detained. According to police reports, 15 Kolkata Police officers and 14 state police personnel sustained injuries during the clashes. The incident has raised concerns about the increasing political unrest and the safety of political leaders in West Bengal.
