Alleged selective policing on Muslims after CM Adhikari invokes lynched man's Hindu identity

In the aftermath of the lynching of a man amid the public fury sparked by the brutal rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, allegations have emerged that the ruling BJP government has turned the tragedy into a political and communal vendetta.

It is reported that the West Bengal Police have unleashed a campaign of selective policing across Muslim-majority localities, while the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s description of the lynching victim as a Hindu murdered by "Moulobadis" (radical fundamentalists), "anti-national elements", and "deleted people in SIR" has further intensified accusations of communal polarisation.

Following the Chief Minister’s remarks, police reportedly launched a series of late-night raids across villages including Alipur Mahajanpara, Bhatpara, Poddojhola, Kadamtala and Mograhat.

Families claim dozens of men—fish sellers, tailors, poultry traders, daily wage labourers and contract workers—have been arrested under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, despite having no involvement in the violence. Many households allege male members have fled in fear, leaving villages largely deserted, according to Maktoob Media.

Relatives of those detained recount scenes of midnight arrests, physical intimidation and the denial of access to loved ones. Several wives allege that police ignored explanations that their husbands were at home or at work when the unrest unfolded, yet proceeded with arrests without prior notice.

They further claim they have been prevented from meeting detainees or even delivering food and clothing, leaving families without their sole breadwinners.

The arrests followed the horrific killing of the minor on 4 July, whose body was recovered after locals, frustrated by alleged police inaction, organised a search. Mass protests demanding justice later escalated into clashes, during which a police vehicle was vandalised and Indrajit Mondal was lynched by a mob.

Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the rape and murder, while one of the principal accused, Prabhas Mondal, was subsequently killed in a police encounter that authorities described as an act of self-defence after he allegedly attempted to flee with a seized firearm.

Lawyers, opposition leaders and civil rights voices have questioned both the encounter and the subsequent crackdown, arguing that the death of a key accused could compromise evidence while widespread arrests risk suppressing legitimate protest.

With multiple changes of investigating officers, continued police deployments and more than 35 additional arrests, the region remains tense as residents await accountability for both the original crime and the state’s response.