West Bengal Ram Navami violence: NIA arrests 11 more accused

New Delhi [India], March 19 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 11 more accused in the conspiracy relating to the communal violence that took place during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal in March last year, the agency said on Tuesday.

These arrests have come less than a month after 16 persons were arrested by the NIA in the six cases, which were transferred to the NIA on April 27 last year.

These 11 accused were also among those involved in conspiring and perpetrating the attacks on members of a particular community, triggered by one such incident during a procession to celebrate Ram Navami in Shibpur, Howrah Police Commissionerate, on March 30 last year.
During the course of its investigations, the NIA had identified the accused from video footages seized from various locations. "Investigations also led the NIA to other major revelations, resulting in these arrests, as well as the arrest of 16 persons on February 26 this year," said the agency.

The 11 arrested accused have been identified as Shamim Ahmed alias Bare, Balwant Singh, Mehmud Alam, Mehfooz Alam alias Sonu, Shamshad Alam alias Danish, Mohammad Ali alias Suraj, Salim Jawed alias Jawad, Sarfaraz Alam alias Lalan, Firoj Khan, Md. Sameer Ansari alias Raj and Shamshad Hussain alias Shamshad Ali alias Raja. All of them are residents of Shibpur, Howrah.

The case was initially registered by the West Bengal Police against 36 persons in the wake of the communal violence triggered by the attack at 4th By Lane, PM Basti, Shibpur, Howrah. The High Court of Calcutta had, on April 27 last year, ordered the transfer of all the cases related to the spate of communal violence that took place during the Ram Navmi celebrations to NIA.