Krishnanagar, Aug. 17: Senior Congress leader and former MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday questioned the state government’s jail surveillance and security arrangements after allegations emerged that the murder of Pradesh Congress leader Anisur Rahman and his lawyer son Abu Sufian was ordered from inside Krishnanagar jail, where a Trinamool Congress leader is also alleged to have been involved in directing the crime.
After meeting the bereaved family at their Bethuadhari residence, Chowdhury demanded the immediate arrest of all those accused in the father-son double murder, irrespective of their political affiliation. He also sought an impartial probe into the allegations that the conspiracy was hatched from inside the jail and that money, weapons and instructions were allegedly conveyed to the assailants outside.
“The people of Bengal are in panic. What change are we seeing that has terrified the people of Bengal? Is it a change or a reversal, we don’t know. Fear, apprehension and panic have been created among the people,” Chowdhury said.
Questioning how a murder could allegedly be planned from within a prison, he said, “The police minister has said about murder. But the fact that murder can be carried out from inside the jail was not known in Bengal before.”
He further raised questions how instructions were allegedly passed on from inside the jail. “How is it possible that orders were given while sitting in the jail?” he asked, pointing to the seriousness of the allegations that prisoners could allegedly communicate with people outside and facilitate a murder conspiracy.
Chowdhury also launched a broader attack on the state’s law-and-order machinery, saying, “Dons rule in this era.” His remarks have added a political edge to an already sensitive case, with the opposition seeking to turn the alleged jail link into an indictment of the state’s prison administration and policing.
Meanwhile, Md Ali Jinnah, brother of the slain Congress leader Anisur Rahman, has sought the appointment of a special public prosecutor to ensure an “effective prosecution” of the case. He met the Krishnanagar Superintendent of Police Atul V on Monday and submitted a written appeal seeking the appointment of an experienced lawyer for the investigation and subsequent trial.
In his application, Jinnah referred to the double murder vase case (No. 773/26) registered at Nakashipara police station and described the murder as a grave case requiring a swift and effective investigation and prosecution. He argued that a qualified special public prosecutor should be appointed so that the families of the victims can secure justice without delay.
After meeting the SP, Jinnah said SP had assured him that the investigation would be expedited. While expressing satisfaction with the assurance, he criticised the role of the officer-in-charge of Nakashipara police station.
Jinnah alleged that the bodies of the slain brother and nephew remained at the spot for nearly an hour after the incident, despite the spot of the crime Nagadi village being located relatively close to the Nakashipara police station. He questioned why the bodies had not been removed earlier and why the police response allegedly took so long.
Meanwhile on Monday a forensic team visited the place of the crime near Nagadi railway crossing underpass. The experts collected samples of evidence from the spot, but refused to disclose any information about the investigation.