Five Arrested After Overnight Raids For Attack on TMC's Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur
Police arrested five people overnight using video footage from the Sonarpur attack site.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the attack on Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. Police said the arrests were carried out during overnight raids after investigators reviewed video footage collected from the area. The incident has triggered a major political controversy in the state, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP trading accusations over the violence.
The attack took place on Saturday when Banerjee visited Sonarpur to meet people allegedly affected by post-poll violence. According to eyewitness accounts and police reports, a large crowd gathered during the visit, with some individuals hurling stones, eggs, and verbal abuse at the Trinamool leader. The situation escalated rapidly, forcing security personnel to intervene as Banerjee attempted to leave the area amid growing unrest.
Videos from the scene showed Banerjee wearing a cricket helmet while being escorted by aides and security staff through the hostile crowd. Reports indicated that some individuals attempted to physically assault him, leading to scuffles and chaos. Slogans were raised against the MP, and unidentified persons allegedly pushed and roughed him up before security officials managed to move him to safety.
Police officials said a case was registered suo motu as neither Banerjee nor the Trinamool Congress had filed a formal complaint by Sunday. Investigators relied on video evidence and local intelligence to identify suspects allegedly involved in the attack. The five arrested individuals are expected to be produced before a court in Baruipur as legal proceedings move forward. Authorities indicated that further arrests could be made if additional evidence emerges.
Following the incident, Banerjee was briefly taken to a private hospital in Kolkata, where he received medical attention before being discharged. He later alleged that BJP activists were responsible for the attack and claimed that there had been an attempt to kill him. Reacting strongly, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence and condemned the incident in a post on social media.
The BJP, however, denied any involvement in the attack. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya described the incident as unfortunate and inconsistent with democratic political conduct but argued that the unrest may have reflected public anger among local residents. Senior Trinamool leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Derek O'Brien, later visited Banerjee at the hospital, while the investigation into the incident continues.
Also Read: Abhishek Banerjee Summoned In CID Investigation Over Alleged Forged Signature
