Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee spoke directly on Monday with Shaik Abdul Hafeez, a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) volunteer whose father was allegedly beaten to death at their residence in West Bengal's Bankura district. Conveying her heartfelt condolences, Banerjee assured the grieving family of all necessary political and legal support from her party during this difficult time. Additionally, a high-level TMC delegation was dispatched to the victim's residence to offer solidarity and assess the situation on the ground.
The tragic sequence of events began on August 13 when 25-year-old Hafeez visited Karisunda West Para Primary School as part of the CJP's nationwide "School Thik Karo" campaign. The initiative was launched to audit and document structural and infrastructural deficiencies in public educational institutions. Later that evening, armed assailants forcibly entered Hafeez's residence and pressured him to record an apology video, demanding he state that his audit was conducted at the behest of external political interests.
When Hafeez refused to comply, the armed intruders brutally attacked him and his father, Janab Mafik, using iron rods, sticks, and a crowbar. Mafik sustained critical head injuries while trying to shield his son and was immediately rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night after two days of intensive treatment, triggering widespread outrage and calls for strict law enforcement action.
The CJP has strongly condemned the fatal assault, accusing local political rivals of carrying out the attack to suppress civic accountability. Police authorities have registered a murder case and initiated a investigation, apprehending several suspects in connection with the crime. The incident has heightened political tensions across the state as party leaders demand swift justice for the bereaved family.