Five individuals have been apprehended in connection with the vandalism of property at the Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dipak Sarkar informed that the arrests, made on Tuesday, included Shambhu Das, Debashish Sarkar, Shambhu Mahato, Samuel Baidya, and Rajiv.
"Based on the Ramakrishna Mission's complaint, we have registered a specific case," said DCP Sarkar. "During our investigation, we arrested five individuals yesterday – Shambhu Das, Debashish Sarkar, Shambhu Mahato, Samuel Baidya, and Rajiv. They are being forwarded to the court with a request for a seven-day remand."
According to the Ramakrishna Mission's complaint, a group of hooligans led by Pradeep Roy attacked the ashram on Sevoke Road. T
hey allegedly threatened the residents, stole items such as mobile phones, and damaged the CCTV cameras before fleeing the scene.
The police investigation revealed an ongoing civil dispute over the land. The main accused, Pradeep Roy, claims ownership of the property under the Hindu Succession Act and has obtained a status quo order from the court.
"We have deployed security guards to prevent any further incidents and introduced a police picket at the site," added DCP Sarkar. "We are in discussions with Ramakrishna Mission authorities and will take appropriate legal steps."
The incident has sparked a political controversy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments against socio-religious organisations like the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
During a public meeting in Purulia, PM Modi accused the TMC government of intimidating and threatening these organisations to appease their vote bank.
"The TMC government, which intimidated and threatened the people of Bengal during elections, has crossed all limits this time," said Modi. "Today, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, and Bharat Sevashram Sangh are renowned for their service and morality, but the Chief Minister of Bengal is openly threatening them."
PM Modi highlighted the global respect these missions command and their dedication to serving the public. "There are millions of followers associated with these missions worldwide, and their sole aim is to serve the people. The Bengal government has pointed a finger at them and is issuing threats just to please their vote bank."
The Prime Minister's remarks came in response to CM Mamata Banerjee's statements made on Saturday. She questioned the involvement of certain religious figures in politics.
"There is a maharaj in Behrampore; I have been hearing about him for a long time. Kartik Maharaj. He says he will not allow any TMC agents in the poll booth. I do not consider him a saint because he is directly involved in politics. I used to respect Bharat Sevashram Sangha a lot. It has been on my list of respected organisations for a long time," said Banerjee.
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