BJP's Nabanno Chalo Abhiyan: Who Are the Men Accused of Arson & Assault on Cops?

The Quint investigated two people who were seen in the video torching the PCR van to find more about the accused

Kolkata Police have been working overtime since 13 September after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nabanno Chalo Abhiyan in Kolkata turned violent. A PCR vehicle was torched and Assistant Commissioner Debjit Chatterjee was thrashed by a mob.  

On Tuesday, 13 September, the Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit carried out their ‘Nabanno Chalo Abhiyan’ to protest the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, in the backdrop of some of its top leaders being accused of several scams. The protest, which was supposed to start at Santragachi, Howrah Maidan and Muralidhar Sen Lane (BJP West Bengal Headquarters), turned violent.   

Since then, Kolkata police conducted searches throughout the night to find the accused. Over 112 people have been arrested since the day of the incident in connection with the violence. They have been booked for assault, rioting, damaging government property and violating section 144.   

A total of seven FIRs – two in Burrabazar, two in Jorasanko, one in Hare Street, Bowbazar and North Port Police Station each, have been filed so far. Based on the video footage of the PCR van being set on fire, and Assistant Commissioner Chatterjee being thrashed, Kolkata police have arrested several persons.  

Who Are These People? 

Most of the accused who have been nabbed so far have been identified through two viral videos in which their faces are visible. One video is of the PCR vehicle being torched, and the other of ACP Chatterjee being thrashed.  

The Quint examined two such people whose faces can clearly be seen in the video where the PCR van is being immolated.  

The first person is Paritosh Mandal, who can be seen wearing a saffron Kurta and aggressively waving a BJP flag when the PCR vehicle is being vandalised and immolated. He can also be seen pouring liquid all over the car’s interiors from a 2L plastic bottle.  

Local shopkeepers confirmed to The Quint that the protestors were carrying fuel in plastic bottles which they used to light the car on fire.  

Upon investigating his social media profile, The Quint discovered that Mondal, who also goes by the name of Putu Bhai online is the secretary of the Cooch Behar Wing of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He is a resident of Dinhata.  

His profile also showcases several pictures of him with MoS Nisith Pramanik. He has even posted a screengrab from a news clipping which showcases him vandalizing the PCR vehicle, along with regular updates in the form of Facebook lives throughout the duration of the protest. He even shared the video of the arson with the caption "Our fight will go on". He is still at large.  

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta on Wednesday tweeted about Mondal’s background too.

This Rioter, who torched the Police Vehicle & spread Chaos, is now identified as Prititosh Mondol aka Putu - resident of Dinhata, seen here taking photos with @NisithPramanik MoS (Home, YA & Sports).

So, @AmitShah @amitmalviya @BJP4Bengal now EXPLAIN !!#DangabaazBJP pic.twitter.com/bx1k2URGHi

— 𝐑𝐢𝐣𝐮 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚 (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) September 14, 2022

Responding to the allegations, BJP Bengal state executive Sishir Bajoria claimed while speaking to The Quint that it was the police which organised this. He asked why the police and the driver of the vehicle abandoned the car on the side of the road.

What action is being taken against those who were assigned to the PCR vehicle? The police brutally thrashed our karyakartas. If my karyakartas get excited then what can anyone do? Since it was our show, we are being blamed.

Shishir Bajoria, BJP state executive

When asked about Mondal, Bajoria did not comment on his association with the BJP. When he was informed about Mondal's photos with Pramanik, he said, "to show somebody with somebody is the easiest thing to do."

On being shown visuals of Mondal at the spot where the PCR van was set on fire, Bajoria said that he doesn't believe that the PCR vehicle was torched by BJP karyakartas. He added, "BJP karyakartas have an ethos. They are not violent by nature."

The second person whom The Quint examined is Dip Sarkar. Sarkar was seen setting fire to the seat of the PCR vehicle with a lighter that he was carrying. He was also caught on camera taunting the cops to show themselves. Later, he also climbed onto the top of the car and vandalised it. He along with six more have been arrested by the police in cases of arson and violence.  

The others arrested are Md Hassan Ali (31), Kena Sardar (44), Bharat Sardar (32), Rajesh Sardar (30), Sankar Sardar (22), and Binay Kumar Saha (36). They were arrested under charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, mischief by fire, among others, and under sections 3 and 4 of The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and under The West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act. 

A social media profile in his name claims that Sarkar is a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and is a ‘Sat Sang Promuk’ of its South Bengal wing. His posts suggest he actively participates in the organization's programs, both cultural and political.  

VHP Bengal media-in-charge Sourish Mukherjee denied his association with VHP. He stated that he can't comment on his past associations, but now that he is a 'political figure', he has no associations with the outfit.

On Thursday, the Kolkata police also arrested one Bikash Ghosh and one Raj Kumar Maity, in connection with the assault on ACP Chatterjee. Both the accused who were seen on camera assaulting Chatterjee, had later shaved their hair, beards and moustaches to avoid arrest.  

Maity is a resident of Dumdum and a teacher by profession. He was arrested in Purba Medinipur on Thursday night. He is also a local BJP worker in his locality.  

The others who have been arrested include Raja Biswas (34), Ravi Kant Singh (35) of Beliaghata, Anup Singh (22) of New Market, Sahil Roy (22) of Entally and Abhijit Roy (41).  

A total of seven FIRs – two in Burrabazar, two in Jorasanko, one in Hare Street, Bowbazar and North Port Police Station each, have been filed so far.  

Bajoria in response to Maity's arrest said that his karyakartas' lives are in danger, after the comments passed by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who said, "I would have shot them in the head." Bajoria further questioned why Banerjee has not been arrested yet.