Raiganj: A former BJP youth wing leader was arrested on Friday afternoon following the circulation of a viral video allegedly showing him and his associates assaulting four minor boys in Dalkhola. The incident triggered public outrage and tension in the town. The children are reportedly undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
The accused, Arjun Sarkar, former president of the BJP Yuba Morcha in Dalkhola, was taken into custody by police from Raiganj and later brought to the Dalkhola police station. Another associate was also reportedly arrested in connection with the case.
According to police sources, the incident occurred near PWD More in Dalkhola, where the minors were accused of stealing from a local shop. A video clip that surfaced on social media on Friday morning showed the boys being beaten with a belt allegedly by Sarkar and others. As the footage spread rapidly, residents gathered and demanded immediate police action against the accused.
Kanaiyalal Agarwal, president of the North Dinajpur district committee of the Trinamool Congress, condemned the incident and called it a “heinous crime.” He said, “ The video clearly showed the minor boys being mercilessly assaulted and urged the police to take strict legal steps against those involved.”
Sarkar, however, denied the allegations and claimed that the video was fabricated to malign him. He stated that he had earlier posted videos exposing alleged misconduct by leaders of the ruling party and the present clip was being circulated as an act of political revenge.
Jobby Thomas, Superintendent of Police of the Islampur Police District, confirmed the arrests and said an investigation is underway. He said: “The BJP leader and his associate have been arrested on charges of assaulting minor boys. We are probing the incident and trying to identify whether more persons were involved”.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, tension prevailed at Ghera village under Itahar police station after villagers caught a suspected thief red-handed while fleeing with stolen household items and ornaments from a migrant worker’s house. The suspect was tied with a rope, and residents staged a protest alleging repeated thefts and antisocial activities in the area.