Bhangar college clashes: Kolkata Police arrest four in two separate cases
Synopsis
A BJP leader's visit to a college in Bhangar — transferred to Kolkata Police jurisdiction under the previous TMC government — sparked two rounds of violent clashes between SFI and ABVP activists. Four arrests followed in separate cases, with the accused due in court Saturday. The incident spotlights how student-wing rivalries in West Bengal continue to translate into campus violence.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police arrested four persons on 22 September 2026 in two separate cases linked to clashes at Bhangar College , South 24 Parganas .
The arrested individuals are Rabiul Zaman Sheikh , Akhtar Ali Molla , Rabiul Mistry , and Aslam Habib .
Violence broke out between SFI and ABVP activists after BJP spokesman and managing committee president Sayantan Basu visited the campus.
Charges include illegal assembly , illegal entry , and obstructing the management committee president .
All four accused will appear before a South 24 Parganas district court on Saturday ; police custody will be sought.
A police picket has been deployed outside Bhangar College to prevent further unrest.
Kolkata Police arrested four persons on Tuesday morning, 22 September 2026, in connection with violent clashes that erupted in two phases within the campus of Bhangar College in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The arrests were made under two separately registered cases stemming from the same incident at the South 24 Parganas district college.
Who Was Arrested
The four individuals taken into custody have been identified as Rabiul Zaman Sheikh, Akhtar Ali Molla, Rabiul Mistry, and Aslam Habib. According to a city police insider, charges against them include illegal assembly, illegal entry into the college, and obstructing the president of the management committee. All four are scheduled to be presented before a district court in South 24 Parganas on Saturday, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek their police custody.
What Triggered the Violence
Tensions at Bhangar College — located in a minority-dominated locality within South 24 Parganas — ignited after Sayantan Basu, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman and president of the college's managing committee, arrived on campus for administrative purposes. Activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s student wing, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), launched protests against his visit. The situation escalated sharply when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also reached the spot, leading to two rounds of clashes between the rival student groups.
How the Two Cases Were Registered
Police registered a suo motu case at Bhangar Police Station in connection with the violence, under which Rabiul Mistry and Rabiul Zaman Sheikh were arrested. Separately, a section of ABVP activists filed a written complaint with the same police station. On the basis of that complaint, a second case was registered, resulting in the arrest of the remaining two individuals — Akhtar Ali Molla and Aslam Habib.
Jurisdictional Background
Notably, Bhangar falls within the administrative jurisdiction of South 24 Parganas district and was historically under the West Bengal Police. However, during the closing period of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, its law-and-order jurisdiction was transferred to the Kolkata Police — an arrangement that remains in place today.
Security Measures and What Comes Next
Following the violence on Monday, a police picket has been stationed in front of the Bhangar College premises since Tuesday morning. Authorities are maintaining heightened surveillance to prevent any fresh unrest. The next major procedural step will be the court appearance of all four accused on Saturday, when the direction of their custody will be decided.
Point of View
And its relevance here is more than administrative trivia. What is missing from the official narrative so far is any accountability toward the political figures whose presence or mobilisation set events in motion — arrests have targeted participants, not organisers. If the pattern holds, the court proceedings on Saturday will reveal whether this is treated as a law-and-order matter or a political one.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in connection with the Bhangar College clashes?
Four persons were arrested: Rabiul Zaman Sheikh , Akhtar Ali Molla , Rabiul Mistry , and Aslam Habib . They face charges including illegal assembly, illegal entry, and obstructing the college's management committee president.
What triggered the violence at Bhangar College?
The clashes erupted after Sayantan Basu , BJP spokesman and president of Bhangar College's managing committee, visited the campus for administrative work. SFI activists protested his presence, and when ABVP members arrived, two rounds of violent clashes broke out between the groups.
Why does Kolkata Police — and not West Bengal Police — have jurisdiction over Bhangar?
Bhangar falls under South 24 Parganas district, which was historically under West Bengal Police. During the final phase of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, the area's law-and-order jurisdiction was transferred to Kolkata Police, and that arrangement remains in effect.
What are the next steps in the legal proceedings?
All four arrested individuals will be presented before a district court in South 24 Parganas on Saturday. The public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody at that hearing.
What security measures are in place after the clashes?
A police picket has been posted outside Bhangar College since Tuesday morning following Monday's violence. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely to prevent any renewed unrest on or near the campus.
