Assault on Bihar Youths in West Bengal Leads to Arrests Amid Political Outcry

Patna: Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the assault on two youths from Bihar in Siliguri, West Bengal. The West Bengal Police confirmed the arrests via social media platform X, stating, “A video went viral showing two individuals, falsely claiming to be Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers, physically assaulting and abusing youths in Siliguri. These individuals have now been identified as imposters.”

The incident has sparked significant controversy following the circulation of a viral video depicting the assault on the Bihar students, who were in Bengal to take the Staff Selection Commission General Duty (SSC GD) physical exam. Union Minister and JDU leader Lalan Singh criticized the Mamata Banerjee government, asserting that there is a breakdown of law and order in the state. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary, has called for strict action against the accused.

The controversy escalated when Union Minister Giriraj Singh shared the assault video on social media, raising questions about the safety of Bihari students in West Bengal. In the footage, the assailants can be heard questioning the youths, saying, “If you are from Bihar, why have you come to Bengal to take the exam?” The situation turned violent as the youths were forced to do sit-ups while being verbally abused.

According to reports, the assault occurred when the victims, Ankit Yadav and a friend, were resting in their room in Siliguri. The assailants entered forcefully, demanded to see their documents, and, upon refusal, resorted to physical violence. The attackers threatened to send the students to jail, further escalating the confrontation.

Bihar Police were notified of the incident after the video gained traction online. Following their request, the Siliguri Police took swift action, apprehending the suspects, identified as Rajat Bhattacharya and Girdhari Roy, within hours.

Rajat, the main accused, is reportedly associated with a group named Bangla Pakho. In his statement to the police, he claimed that they confronted the Bihar students over suspicions of them using fake certificates to obtain jobs in Bengal.

Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena has contacted his West Bengal counterpart, urging appropriate action regarding the incident.