The National Investigation Agency (NIA) fired back on Monday against a lower court’s controversial decision to release 15 suspects on conditional bail in the Beladanga riots case. Filing a petition in Calcutta High Court, NIA claims the ruling flouts Supreme Court guidelines and jeopardizes the probe into the deadly clashes that rocked Murshidabad in January.
What began as grief over a Jharkhand migrant’s death snowballed into fury in Beladanga. Protesters, believing it was a hate crime, jammed key transport routes. When forces moved in, violence exploded—attacks on police and media personnel left several wounded. Jharkhand’s suicide verdict failed to quell the anger.
Political heat intensified with TMC’s Yusuf Pathan facing backlash for not being present. Suvendu Adhikari’s High Court plea led to NIA’s involvement after Supreme Court nod. Despite 35 arrests, NIA’s delay in charge sheet filing triggered the bails.
A special court cited legal timelines, releasing the group on modest surety. NIA argues this premature step ignores probe realities, urging the High Court to intervene. As Tuesday’s hearing looms, the outcome will test judicial balance between rights and security in riot probes. The Beladanga saga underscores deepening communal divides and probe pressures in border districts.
