A group of lawyers associated with the Left-leaning lawyers’ cell of the Calcutta High Court has alleged that they were attacked by a group of armed men in Paschim Medinipur district on Saturday evening while returning to Kolkata after meeting families who they said had been displaced from their homes.
Among those allegedly assaulted was Calcutta High Court lawyer Samim Ahameed. The lawyers claimed that their vehicles were intercepted in the Benachapra area under Garbeta Police Station and attacked with iron rods, sticks and bamboo poles. Several lawyers reportedly sustained injuries and four vehicles were allegedly vandalised.
The lawyers have alleged that BJP supporters were behind the attack. The BJP has denied the allegation.
Lawyers Say Vehicles Were Intercepted
According to the lawyers, members of their group travelled to West Midnapore on Saturday to meet families in Benachapra and Kharkushma who they claimed had been forced to leave their homes following earlier incidents of political violence.
The group said its purpose was to document the concerns of the affected families and provide legal and moral support. They reportedly met around eight families before beginning their return journey to Kolkata.
According to their account, the vehicles were intercepted in the Benachapra area in the evening. A group of men allegedly surrounded the vehicles and began attacking them with sticks, bamboo poles and iron rods.
The lawyers alleged that several members of the group were chanting “Jai Shri Ram” during the attack. They also claimed that a female lawyer travelling with the team was physically assaulted.
Samim Ahameed, along with lawyers Rajitlal Moitra, Siddhartha Shankar Mondal and Samaresh Chakraborty, was among those who reportedly sustained injuries.
Lawyer Alleges Coordinated Attack
One of the lawyers described the incident as a sudden and coordinated attack.
“We repeatedly told them that we were lawyers, but they did not listen. They smashed the vehicles and even took away my glasses. They vandalised the vehicles one after another while chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. There were around 15 lawyers travelling in four vehicles, and almost everyone was injured to some extent,” he said.
The lawyers said their decision to visit the affected families was based on their belief in constitutional rights and the rule of law.
“We still believe that India has a Constitution and that everyone has rights guaranteed under it. Driven by that belief, we went to meet the affected families. As lawyers, we wanted to stand beside them and assure them of our support,” they said.
They further alleged that the attack took place despite the presence of police personnel.
“The most alarming aspect is that the attack took place in the presence of the police. The police simply stood by and watched,” the lawyers alleged.
Police Escort Vehicles Towards Kolkata
Police said they acted after receiving information about the incident.
According to the police, officers reached the area, brought the situation under control and subsequently escorted the vehicles towards Kolkata under police protection.
Speaking to The Observer Post, Samim Ahameed alleged that a sizeable group of armed men targeted the lawyers.
“About 20 to 30 armed miscreants attacked us. Even a female lawyer was not spared. They intended to kill us. We managed to escape the area with police assistance to save our lives,” Ahammed alleged.
He further claimed that the lawyers faced another attack after leaving Salboni Police Station following the submission of a written complaint.
“We were attacked again while leaving after filing a written complaint at Salboni police station. We were attacked three times at three different locations. Shockingly, the police stood by and watched while the miscreants vandalised the vehicles. Had the police taken timely action, we would not have faced such an attack,” Ahammed alleged.
Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Safety
Another lawyer criticised what he described as the deteriorating security situation for members of the legal profession.
“While the rule of law is talked about, a reign of goons appears to prevail in the state. If lawyers are not safe, what security is there for ordinary people?” the lawyer said.
The lawyer also drew a parallel between alleged political violence by different parties, saying that lawyers should not be targeted regardless of which political organisation was involved.
BJP Denies Allegations
The BJP has denied the allegations that its members were involved in the attack.
