Old video of TMC strongman's aides assaulting a person in Bengal's Ariadaha club surfaces, 2 arrested

The police arrested two people in connection with the incident which is believed to have taken place in the Ariadaha Taltala Sporting Club in February 2021.

The video shows the associates of Jayant Singh, the TMC strongman known to be close to the party’s Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, holding the victim, prima facie a woman, by her hands and legs while others hit her with sticks.

Jayant, an office-bearer of the Ariadaha club, is already in police custody since he was arrested following his surrender on July 4 in the Ariadaha mob assault incident of June 30.

The police so far have identified eight people in the video and the arrested ones are Guddu and Jugga.

Jayant, who is not seen in the clip, has also been named in the FIR.

One of the accused in the club assault incident is heard ordering the others to hit the person on the back even as the victim screams in pain.

The police, however, are verifying the victim’s gender.

Hours after the video went viral, the Barrackpore Police posted on X that a case has been filed in the matter and two persons were arrested.

“BKP Commissionerate took note of an old video now in circulation on social media involving assault on a girl. A suo motu criminal case has been started. All legal actions against persons seen in video (2 among them are already in custody) are being taken,” read the post.

Expressing shock over the incident, BJP’s West Bengal president and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumder also took to X, saying, “Absolutely appalled by the emerging video from Taltala Club, Kamarhati, showing Jayanta Singh, a close associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, brutally attacking a girl. This heinous act under a government that claims to champion women’s rights is a disgrace to humanity.”

Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-observer for West Bengal, also slammed the “increasing crimes against women and complete collapse of constitutional framework”.

“Flogging… in West Bengal’s Chopra was not an isolated instance of Mamata Banerjee’s men dispensing instant justice… Jayanta Singh, an associate of TMC MLA Madan Mitra, and his gang, routinely whip women in public. They recently lynched a woman and her daughter in Ariadaha, part of Kamarhati Municipality, Dum Dum. But this is least of his crimes…” Malviya posted on X.

Jayant is facing at least nine FIRs including that of murder, attempt to murder and assault at the Belgharia and Dakshineswar police stations and has been behind bars before, the police said. Also, in June last year, he along with 9-10 others were arrested for allegedly firing at a local builder Aritra Ghosh.