Baruipur lynching: 7 arrested as Bengal CM visits, hands ₹25 lakh to kin
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Two more persons have been arrested in connection with the mob lynching of 26-year-old Indrajit Tanti on 5 July at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to seven. The lynching occurred amid public fury over the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in the area — a crime for which Tanti was subsequently cleared by police investigation.
Fresh Arrests and Court Proceedings
The two newly detained individuals were apprehended following a night-long search operation, according to officials. They are scheduled to be produced before a district court in South 24 Parganas, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek their police custody.
The seven persons arrested so far in the lynching case are Farooq Sardar, Rajesh Sardar, Shariful Mallick, Sabiuddin Vaidya, Farid Sheikh, Abu Siddique Sardar, and Shamim Ali Khan. Officials indicated that the number of arrests may rise further as investigations continue.
Charges Filed Under BNS
Cases have been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, covering unlawful assembly, rioting, obstructing a public servant, wilfully causing hurt to a public person, and murder by lynching. Three separate cases are being investigated by police in connection with the Baruipur incident.
The first case pertains to the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl; four persons have been arrested in that matter. One of them, Pravas Mondal, was killed in a police encounter last week after allegedly attempting to snatch a firearm from an escorting officer. The second case covers the mob lynching of Tanti. The third relates to large-scale violence on Sunday afternoon, during which railway tracks and police vehicles were vandalised and officers were attacked — 42 persons have already been arrested in that connection.
Chief Minister's Visit and Compensation
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Baruipur on Saturday afternoon and handed over a compensation cheque of ₹25 lakh to the family of Indrajit Tanti, who had been declared innocent by police. Adhikari also announced a civic volunteer position in the state police for Tanti's elder brother.
The Chief Minister further alleged that those defeated in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections were behind the mob-lynching conspiracy, though no formal charges have been attributed to any political figure in the official case record.
Background and What Comes Next
The Baruipur incident has drawn sharp attention to the dangers of mob justice and the consequences of unverified accusations spreading through communities. Tanti's death — of a man later exonerated — underscores the irreversible harm such violence inflicts on innocent individuals and their families.
With investigations across three parallel cases still active and officials signalling more arrests are likely, the legal proceedings in South 24 Parganas are expected to intensify in the days ahead.