The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has secured two days of custody of Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Shakir Ali — husband of former TMC Member of Parliament Aparupa Poddar — in connection with the 2023 Ram Navami violence that shook Rishra in Hooghly district, West Bengal. An NIA Special Court granted the custody order on Wednesday, 2 July 2025, a day after Ali was arrested by the agency.

Background: The 2023 Rishra Violence

Rishra, a town in Hooghly district, witnessed serious communal unrest during the Ram Navami procession in 2023. According to reports, the area was rocked by bomb attacks, vandalism, and arson, forcing residents indoors and compelling the local administration to impose a near-total curfew for several days to restore order. The scale of the violence prompted the NIA to take over the investigation from local authorities.

Notably, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh had attended a programme in the area that day and had departed before the unrest reportedly broke out. The sequence of events has remained a point of political contention ever since.

NIA's Allegations Against Shakir Ali

The central agency told the NIA Special Court that Shakir Ali was the principal conspirator behind orchestrating the chaos in Rishra on the day of Ram Navami. Investigators alleged that the collection of bricks and crude bombs was carried out on his direct instructions.

Crucially, the NIA also stated that 36 rounds of ammunition were recovered from Ali's residence. Investigators noted that the cartridges appeared to be intended for more than one type of weapon, and samples have been sent for forensic examination to determine the specific firearms involved.

What CCTV Footage Revealed

During the court hearing, the investigating officer stated that he had personally visited the site and retrieved CCTV footage from the area. The footage reportedly showed multiple vehicles being vandalised during the violence. Investigators claimed that one vehicle — a white car allegedly used by Shakir Ali — was conspicuously left untouched by the mob. The NIA further alleged that Ali was visibly present and appeared to be directing the unrest in the footage.

Court's Questions and NIA's Response

The presiding judge questioned why the NIA was seeking custody nearly two years after the case was first registered in 2023. In response, the agency's counsel argued that Ali could not have been arrested earlier and had allegedly been non-cooperative with the investigation throughout. The court, after hearing both sides, granted the agency two days of custody to question him further.

Political and Legal Significance

The arrest of a sitting TMC municipal councillor by the NIA marks a significant escalation in the agency's probe into the Hooghly violence. The case intersects with broader concerns around communal incidents during religious processions in West Bengal and the Centre's use of federal investigative agencies in state-level law-and-order matters — a recurring point of friction between the TMC government and the Centre. Further developments are expected once the two-day custody period concludes and the agency presents its findings before the court.