Sandeshkhali violence key witness critically injured in crash before hearing
What's the story
Bholanath Ghosh, a key witness in the Sandeshkhali violence cases, was critically injured in a road accident on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Basanti Highway near Boyramari petrol pump under Nazat Police Station limits in Basirhat, West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. A truck collided with Ghosh's car, killing his younger son Satyajit (32) and their driver Sahanur Molla (27). A senior officer said the truck dragged Ghosh's car into a nearby water body after the collision.
Accident details
Truck collision drags car into water body
Eyewitnesses said the truck was coming from the opposite direction and rammed into Ghosh's vehicle at high speed. The truck was later found precariously hanging over the water body with its driver having fled the scene. Ghosh was identified as one of the key witnesses in the January 2024 attack on Enforcement Directorate agents in Sandeshkhali, as well as linked CBI investigations involving TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan.
Allegations of conspiracy
Ghosh's son suspects foul play in accident
Ghosh's elder son Biswajit alleged that the accident was a planned attempt to murder his father. He accused jailed TMC leader Shahjahan of orchestrating the incident from prison. Ghosh, accompanied by his son, was on his way to the Basirhat sub-divisional court to appear in one of the several cases Shahjahan had filed against him. As of now, no official police complaints have been lodged by the victims' family members regarding this incident.
Medical response
What is the Sandeshkhali case
A mob had attacked an ED team on January 5, 2024, while they were on their way to conduct searches at the house of then TMC strongman Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali's Sarberia area. The ED's probe into Shahjahan has revealed numerous allegations of organized crime in Sandeshkhali. Shahjahan and others have been accused of establishing an atmosphere of terror through threats of injury, murder, attempted murder, extortion, and land grabbing that led to illegal monetary gains.