In a major development in the Jafrabad father-son murder case, police on Monday arrested Akbar Ali, the final suspect among the 12 main accused in the brutal killing of Haragobinda Das (70) and his son Chandan Das (40) in Murshidabad.
Ali was apprehended in Godda, Jharkhand, during a coordinated operation by officers from the Jangipur police district and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the violence in the area.
“Ali was named in the FIR and is the 12th key accused. With this, all main perpetrators directly involved in the murders have been arrested. Our focus now shifts to securing their conviction,” said Syed Waquar Raza, DIG of the Murshidabad Range.
The killings, which occurred during the widespread unrest in Murshidabad, appear to have been partly motivated by a personal dispute over land. SP Amitkumar Sahu noted that early investigations suggest the crime stemmed from long-standing animosity between the victims and one of the accused, Hajrat Ali alias Fitur.
An SIT official revealed that a dispute over land sale erupted about eight months before the murders. The Das family reportedly accepted money for a land transaction but later backed out. This land included a site where Hajrat planned to install an electric pole and drainage for his house.
“Hajrat admitted that the land issue was the motive behind the attack. He exploited the chaos in Murshidabad to carry out the murders,” said a senior officer. However, authorities caution against attributing the actions of all 11 others solely to this dispute, suggesting elements of mob mentality might also be involved.
In total, 322 people have been arrested in connection with the broader violence related to protests over amendments to the Waqf Act in the district.
