Court Grants Default Bail To 15 Accused After Delay In Beldanga Case Chargesheet
NIA court grants default bail to 15 accused in Beldanga violence case over delay.
A special court of the National Investigation Agency has granted default bail to 15 accused persons in connection with the Beldanga violence case in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
The court’s decision came after the investigating agency failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory 90-day period from the date of arrest. The bail has been granted under statutory provisions for default bail, although the court has imposed certain conditions that the accused must comply with while remaining out on release.
The case relates to violence that erupted earlier this year in Beldanga following the death of a migrant worker in neighbouring Jharkhand. The incident triggered large-scale protests in the region after the worker’s body was brought back to his hometown in Murshidabad district.
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Local protesters had alleged that the migrant worker was killed due to religious and linguistic tensions, leading to escalating unrest. Demonstrations soon turned into road and railway blockades, severely disrupting normal life in the area and drawing attention from state authorities.
Tensions further escalated when security forces attempted to disperse the crowds, resulting in clashes between protesters and police personnel. Reports from the time also noted that journalists covering the situation were attacked, with several individuals sustaining injuries during the unrest.
However, Jharkhand Police later cited postmortem findings suggesting that the death was a case of suicide, a conclusion that contrasted with the allegations made by protestors and added further complexity to the case.
The unrest also triggered political reactions, with local leaders facing criticism over their response to the situation. The matter eventually reached the judiciary, with petitions filed seeking deployment of central forces and transfer of investigation to central agencies due to concerns over law and order.
Following legal interventions, the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency for a detailed probe. The agency has since been investigating the violence, though the delay in filing charges against some accused has now resulted in the grant of default bail. Authorities are expected to continue their investigation while the remaining accused remain in judicial custody as the case proceeds further.
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