Bankura: 8 arrested after CJP activist's father dies

Sheikh Mohammed Mafik, the 50-year-old father of a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) volunteer, died in West Bengal's Bankura district on August 15 after being admitted to Burdwan Medical College, police and multiple outlets reported. Eight people have been arrested and remanded to police custody; the case has pitted the CJP's account of a targeted killing against the West Bengal Police's description of a 'minor injury' and blood-pressure-related death.

What happened

The CJP volunteer, 25-year-old Sheikh Abdul Hafiz, visited Karisunda Paschimpara Primary School in Bankura's Indas block on August 13 to inspect its condition as part of the party's 'School theek karo' initiative, India Today reported. He was asked by headmaster Kashinath Dey to return the next day. A few hours later, a group of assailants entered the family home and attacked them with sticks, iron rods and crowbars, according to India Today and The Hindu.

Hafiz escaped by fleeing; the attackers then assaulted his father, Sheikh Mohammed Mafik. Mafik was taken to a health centre and later referred to Burdwan Medical College, where he died on August 15, India Today reported. His wife, Hasina Begum, lodged the complaint that became the FIR.

The police account

The West Bengal Police, in a post on X, rejected what it called 'misinformation' being spread on social media. It said Mafik sustained 'a minor injury that required a single stitch' and that on the morning of August 15 he got self-admitted to Burdwan Medical College 'after experiencing severe blood pressure fluctuations.' The police added that 'no life-threatening injury was found by doctors who treated him.'

According to the police, Bankura police arrested eight individuals — three named in the initial FIR and five additional suspects — and all have been remanded to eight days of police custody. Active manhunts are underway for two remaining absconding suspects, and a house guard has been placed at Hafiz's residence.

The FIR, registered under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, charges the arrested persons with murder (Section 103(1)), criminal conspiracy (61), snatching (304), aggravated criminal intimidation (351(3)), criminal trespass and house-trespass, breach of the peace (329(4)), and voluntarily causing grievous hurt (117), The Indian Express reported.

CJP response

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka visited Indas and said in a video posted on X that 'Abdul (Hafiz) was with us in the Jantar Mantar protest from day one. He wanted to repair the primary school in his locality. When he returned home after talking to the authorities, he was attacked by the BJP goons. When his father intervened, the assailants also beat him up. As a result, he died.' Ranka urged party members to join him in visiting the family and asked all political parties to stand by them.

CJP core member Sudhir Sangwan claimed the assailants were 'certainly affiliated with the BJP' and that the party had 'eyewitness accounts and the names and photographs of some of the accused which can be matched with their profiles and the FIRs to establish their political affiliation.' He did not provide any independent documentary evidence to substantiate the claim, The Indian Express noted.

The CJP has given the West Bengal government 10 days to arrest all those allegedly involved and demanded that all necessary legal sections be invoked. CJP east and northeast zone in-charge Ankit Bhardwaj said Hafiz did not want financial compensation but wanted the government to build a 'world-class' school in his village and district in his father's memory. A delegation led by member Akash Prem will remain at the residence, and the party warned of demonstrations outside local administrative offices if the government fails to respond.

The Indian Youth Congress extended legal support to Hafiz and demanded the immediate arrest of all accused named in the FIR.

BJP response

The BJP has denied organisational involvement. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said all those named in the FIR are 'criminals' and will face stringent action, and that there is 'no BJP connection here.' BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar said the assault should be investigated and an FIR registered if such an incident had taken place.

What we can verify

• Sheikh Mohammed Mafik, 50, died on August 15 after being taken to Burdwan Medical College; his son, CJP volunteer Sheikh Abdul Hafiz, 25, was attacked with him on August 13 in Bankura's Indas block. Verified across The Indian Express, India Today, and The Hindu.
• Eight people have been arrested and remanded to police custody; two suspects remain absconding. Verified across the same three outlets and the police's own X statement.
• The FIR charges murder, criminal conspiracy, snatching, criminal intimidation, trespass, and grievous hurt under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Verified in The Indian Express.
• CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka visited the family and made the claims quoted above, in a video posted on X. Verified in India Today and The Hindu.
• The BJP, through Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and MP Sukanta Majumdar, has denied organisational involvement. Verified in India Today and The Indian Express.

What remains unverified

• The exact medical cause of death. The police say Mafik suffered only 'a minor injury' and died after 'severe blood pressure fluctuations'; no independent postmortem report or medical documentation has been made public. [unverified]
• The political affiliation of the accused. CJP claims the assailants are BJP-affiliated and says it has evidence to match, but no independent documentary evidence has been produced. [unverified]
• Whether the attackers were motivated by Hafiz's school-inspection campaign. This is the CJP's account; the police have not confirmed any motive. [unverified]

The investigation is ongoing.

• Ends

Published By: Devika Nair Published On: August 19, 2026