CPI(M) leader Lahek Ali was presented before the Baruipur Court on Monday, a day after he was arrested in connection with the violence that erupted during protests over the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in West Bengal's Surjyapur area. The unrest culminated in the mob lynching of 36-year-old Indrajit Mondal. Ali is the first political leader to be arrested in connection with the violence. He had contested the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from the Baruipur Paschim constituency as the CPI(M) candidate.
Lahek Ali, who was brought to court wearing a protective helmet, dismissed the allegations against him and claimed that the police action was politically motivated. "My arrest is politically motivated, and I was not involved in the violence," Ali told reporters while being escorted into the court premises.
The sight of the CPI(M) leader wearing a helmet drew attention at the court complex. According to reports, Ali had refused to wear the helmet and told police that he wanted to enter the court "with his head held high". Police, however, insisted that he wear protective headgear, citing security concerns in light of recent incidents of egg pelting.
Ali was arrested by Baruipur Police late on Sunday in connection with the violence that broke out after the minor girl's body was recovered from a pond in Surjyapur on July 5. Owing to the tense law-and-order situation, he was kept overnight at Narendrapur Police Station before being produced before the Baruipur court on Monday.
Police have named Lahek Ali in the FIR linked to the violence and booked him under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to reports, he faces at least 15 charges, including allegations of provoking the mob, along with two offences under the Railways Act. He has also been charged under 27 sections, including murder, in connection with the case.
According to the police, Lahek Ali allegedly incited demonstrators whose protest escalated into widespread violence. Investigators claim the mob vandalised police vehicles, torched tyres, blocked roads and attacked police personnel, disrupting normal life in the area. The violence led to the mob lynching of 36-year-old Indrajit Mondal.
The CPI(M), however, rejected the allegations and accused the state government of targeting political opponents. CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim condemned the arrest, alleging that the police had chosen to crack down on protesters instead of those responsible for the crime. "Instead of arresting the criminals, the police are arresting those who protested against the incident," Salim said, describing the arrest as "planned".
Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty also termed the arrest politically motivated. He alleged that the police had acted without verifying the sequence of events and maintained that Ali had reached Surjyapur only after the mob lynching of toto driver Indrajit Mondal. Chakraborty said a proper investigation, including an examination of CCTV footage, would establish the actual sequence of events.
However, Bengal minister and BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, defended the police action, saying those responsible for instigating violence and damaging public property must face legal consequences.
The arrest came a day after the investigating officer in the rape and murder case was replaced. On Saturday, Santanu Mukhopadhyay, Deputy Superintendent of Police (District Enforcement Branch), Baruipur Police, was appointed as the new investigating officer.
The investigation was initially led by officer Diganta Mondal before being transferred to Jayanta Poddar, the former Inspector-in-Charge of Baruipur Police Station. Officials said the latest change was aimed at strengthening the probe and ensuring a more comprehensive examination of all aspects of the case.
The unrest in Surjyapur followed the recovery of the body of the 11-year-old girl, who had gone missing on the afternoon of July 4. Despite extensive searches by her family and neighbours, she could not be traced until her body was found in a pond the following morning.
Residents had examined CCTV footage and allegedly identified the child walking with Prabhash Mondal shortly before her disappearance. Local residents later tracked him down and, based on information allegedly provided by him, recovered the girl's body from a water body where it had reportedly been dumped inside a gunny bag.
According to the post-mortem examination, the child was gang-raped and was still alive when she was thrown into the water. Police said Prabash Mondal subsequently led residents to two other accused, Ananda Sardar and Dibakar Sardar, who were apprehended by an enraged crowd. Amid the outrage after the minor’s body was found, another man, Indrajit Mondal, who was suspected by locals of being involved in the crime, was beaten to death by a mob. Subsequently, in a dramatic turn of events, Prabash Mondal was encountered by the police while he attempted to flee during a reconstruction drill at the crime scene.
Following a preliminary inquiry, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said Indrajit Mondal had no role in the alleged rape and murder. Describing his death, the Chief Minister said it was "not a case of lynching" but a "politically motivated murder". As part of the continuing investigation, police said CCTV cameras would be installed near the victim's residence, while additional police personnel and central forces would be deployed near the home of Indrajit Mondal to prevent any further unrest. On Sunday, Baruipur Police also arrested two more people in connection with the killing of Indrajit Mondal. Both have been charged with murder and remanded to police custody until July 20.
