Arrest warrant issued against Arjun Singh over Bhatpara violence after repeated police summons fail

The West Bengal Police have issued an arrest warrant against former Barrackpore MP and BJP leader Arjun Singh after he failed to comply with multiple summons in connection with a violent incident that took place outside his residence in Bhatpara last month. Singh had been summoned by the police five times, but he did not appear for questioning. In response, Singh has stated that he has filed a petition in court seeking to quash the case against him.

The violence occurred on March 26 outside Singh's house, near Meghna Jute Mill in Bhatpara, North 24 Parganas, when shots were fired and bombs were thrown. According to Singh, the incident unfolded in front of the police, but no action was taken. A Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was injured during the clashes. Singh claimed that miscreants fired shots at him before fleeing the scene, and he later pursued the assailants along with his supporters. Singh also alleged that local TMC leader Namit Singh was behind the attack, asserting that shots were fired in front of police officers.

The police investigation into the incident revealed that five rounds of gunfire were exchanged near Meghna Jute Mill, and two rounds were fired near Singh’s house. Additionally, two bombs were reportedly thrown at his residence. The violence reportedly began when two groups clashed near the Meghna mill. Singh, who was at the Majdur Bhawan at the time, rushed to the scene after hearing that Namit Singh had arrived. He claims that miscreants fired shots at him before escaping.

In response to the violence, TMC’s Jagaddal MLA Somnath Shyam accused Singh and his supporters of instigating the clashes. He claimed that Singh’s group attacked workers at Meghna Jute Mill and fired bullets, injuring several people. “The youth was shot by Singh, and three to four more people were injured in his group’s attack,” Shyam said. He demanded Singh’s immediate arrest, warning that failure to do so would result in a larger protest by the TMC.

On the day the arrest warrant was issued, the police summoned Singh for questioning at the Jagaddal police station. However, Singh did not appear, prompting the police team, led by the officer-in-charge of Jagaddal police station, Madhusudan Mondal, to visit his residence. Singh, in his defense, maintained that there were cameras along the road that could provide evidence of the events that transpired during the violence. The investigation is ongoing as both political parties continue to make conflicting claims about the incident.