Asansol stampede case: 6 arrested, police names BJP leader, wife in FIR

According to the police, no permission was given from their side to hold the program, however, BJP leaders claim that they informed the police about the program and did not face any objections

Six people were arrested on Friday in connection with the stampede at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) program at Asansol in West Bengal earlier this week in which three people were killed, police said.

Three, including a child, were killed and at least four others were injured in a stampede at a blanket donation program on Wednesday (Twitter Photo)

“Six have been arrested so far. They were charged under sections 304 (ii) (culpable homicide) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” said a senior officer of Asansol- Durgapur Police.

“We initiated a first information report (FIR) on the basis of a complaint lodged by one Sukhen Barui, whose mother Jhali Barui was killed in the stampede,” said another officer.

Three persons, including a child, were killed and at least four others were injured in a stampede at a blanket donation program on Wednesday evening organised by the BJP. Party legislator and leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly Suvendu Adhikari was present at the program.

According to the police, no permission was given from their side to hold the program, however, BJP leaders claim that they informed the police about the program and did not face any objections.

“We informed the police that a Shiv Charcha program followed by a mega blanket donation program would be held. The police cannot shrug off their responsibility. The cops are doing everything to remain in the good books of TMC leaders. It is a very unfortunate incident and it is unnecessarily being politicised,” said Jitendra Tiwari, a member of the BJP’s state executive committee to media persons.

The police named Jitendra Tiwari and his wife Chaitali Tiwari, including others in the FIR and charged them with section 304 (ii), 308 and 34 of the IPC.

Tiwari, the former mayor of the Trinamool Congress-led Asansol civic body, joined the BJP in 2021 ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

On Thursday the Asansol-Durgapur police formed a three-member committee to probe into the stampede incident. Adhikari, however, was not named in the FIR, police said.

“The program was being held illegally without any permission from the police. Law will take its own course,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, told media persons.