Krishnanagar, June 24: Within hours of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly reiterating his government’s commitment to revisit crimes allegedly committed during the previous Trinamool Congress regime, police launched a fresh crackdown and arrested five more accused in Kaliganj bomb attack victim Tamanna Khatun on Wednesday.
The swift police action came less than ten hours after Adhikari assured justice to victims whose cases, according to their families and opposition parties, had remained neglected for years under the previous dispensation.
Sabir Sheikh and Jiarul Sheikh, named in the FIR relating to Tamanna’s murder, were arrested from Murshidabad late on Tuesday. The duo were produced before a Krishnanagar court after medical examination, and the court remanded them to 10 days of police custody. On Wednesday evening, Faqar Sheikh and Hafizul Sheikh from Murshidabad and Minarul Sheikh from Gurgaon were arrested. Minarul will be brought to Krishnanagar on transit remand. Their arrest has taken the total number of persons apprehended in the case to 16 out of the 24 accused named in the complaint lodged by Tamanna’s mother, Sabina.
The murder of Tamanna long remained a symbol of alleged political violence and administrative inaction in Bengal, frequently cited by opposition parties as examples of the state’s deteriorating law-and-order situation during the Trinamool regime.
Tamanna Khatun, a 10-year-old girl from Molandi village in Nadia’s Kaliganj, was killed on June 23, 2025, shortly after the declaration of the Kaliganj Assembly by-poll result in favour of the Trinamool Congress. Sabina alleged that ruling party supporters launched attacks on CPM workers following the victory and hurled crude bombs indiscriminately. One of the bombs struck Tamanna as she was entering her home, killing her on the spot.”The only fault of my daughter was that her family and neighbours supported the CPM,” Sabina has repeatedly alleged.
The incident not only sparked public outrage but also evolved into politically charged flashpoints, feeding a broader opposition narrative of political violence, partisan policing and denial of justice under the previous government.
The issue gained renewed momentum on Tuesday when a CPM delegation led by Domkal MLA Mustafizur Rahaman and party leader Minakshi Mukherjee met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the Assembly. The delegation that included family members of many victims, urged the chief minister to expedite action in several pending cases, including RG Kar doctor’s rape and murder, Tamanna’s murder and the murder of Dipu and Usharani-a couple in Kakdwip. They also later raised the matter with the Director General of Police.
Earlier on Tuesday, Addressing the Assembly, Adhikari declared, “Justice will be delivered to the sister of RG Kar Hospital. Tamanna’s mother will also get justice.” He further announced, “Every
crime committed during the previous regime will be examined. We will identify each and every case of atrocity against women to ensure justice.” “We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards crime against women,” the Chief Minister added.
Expressing gratitude for the breakthrough, Sabina thanked the Chief Minister and welcomed the police action. “I have been saying for a long time that the criminals were not hiding—the police were hiding them. Trinamool leaders fully supported them. The administration protected the accused and concealed them. I was assured after meeting the Chief Minister, but I never expected such swift action. I hope the remaining accused will also be arrested soon. I hope Tamanna will finally get justice,” she said.
Drawing a contrast with her previous attempts to seek intervention from the former government, Sabina added, “I had also wanted to meet Mamata Banerjee when she was Chief Minister. Unfortunately, I was never given time. Nobody from Trinamool gave me an opportunity either. That was shocking to me. But I am happy with the way the Chief Minister has responded.”
Welcoming the development, CPM state secretary Md Salim said the arrests demonstrated that action was possible when there was political will.
“The arrests proved that if the government wants and the police want, action can be taken against the accused. Yesterday we brought several such cases to the Chief Minister’s attention. Later, during discussions with the DGP, victims’ families explained how police had protected the accused and neglected investigations. We hope similar action will now be taken in all the other cases that we raised,” Salim said.