Five people have been arrested and two others detained in connection with the alleged assault on Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee in Sonarpur, West Bengal, police said, as per an Indian Express report.
According to senior police officials, a suo motu case was registered following the incident. The Sonarpur police subsequently formed three specialised teams, which conducted overnight raids across the area to identify and apprehend suspects seen in videos that surfaced on social media.
“Five people have been formally arrested and taken into custody, while two others have been detained for questioning. Active raids are still underway. We are thoroughly scanning all available video evidence as the investigation proceeds,” a senior police officer said.
According to multiple media reports, police sources have identified some of the arrested individuals as Nirmala Sengupta, Debasish Dutta, Kajol Das and Akash Gayen, a local youth. The five accused are expected to be produced before the Baruipur court on Sunday.
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The incident took place on Saturday evening when Banerjee travelled to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district to visit the family of a TMC worker who was allegedly killed in post-poll violence.
As Banerjee's convoy approached the area, protesters allegedly greeted him with black flags and raised “go back” slogans. With the road leading to the worker's residence too narrow for vehicles, the TMC leader switched to a motorcycle to complete the journey.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, a section of the crowd then surrounded Banerjee. He was allegedly pulled off the motorcycle, heckled and targeted with chants of “chor, chor” (thief). Bricks, shoes and eggs were also allegedly thrown at him, while several women were seen brandishing brooms during the protest.
State police personnel and central forces intervened and escorted Banerjee away from the crowd.
Following the incident, Banerjee was taken to a nearby private hospital and later shifted to another private medical facility. He was discharged at around 11 pm.
The TMC and Banerjee have alleged that the attack was pre-planned and orchestrated by the BJP. The BJP, however, denied any role in the incident, describing it as a spontaneous expression of public anger.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of pressuring hospitals not to admit the TMC MP after the incident. The BJP countered by alleging that Banerjee sought hospitalisation to avoid appearing before the CID in connection with the West Bengal signature forgery case, for which he has been summoned on Monday.
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