Kolkata, Apr 17 (PTI) A report submitted by the West Bengal government to the Calcutta High Court on the situation in Murshidabad district has detailed widespread incidents of violence between April 8 and April 12 by unruly mob in connection with protests over the Waqf Act.

It stated that following intervention by the police and civil administration, the situation in Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj and Jangipur is now under control.

The report, submitted before a division bench comprising justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury, said that agitational programmes over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 started since April 4 in all police station areas of Jangipur in Murshidabad district.

“Initially, the protest organised by different organisations were peaceful and non-violent,” it said.

The report said an anti-Waqf Act protest comprising about 4,000 to 5,000 people had on April 8 blocked National Highway-12 at Umarpur, which turned unruly.

“They started throwing bricks, stones on police personnel and started assaulting police personnel by lathi, ‘hasuan’ (sharp weapon), iron sticks and deadly weapons with intention to kill the police personnel,” it stated.

“The miscreants snatched a Glock pistol of SDPO Jangipur loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition,” it added.

According to the report, the unruly mob had set fire to the government vehicle of SDPO Jangipur, highway patrolling vehicle and other government properties.

The report, a copy of which is available with PTI, stated that on April 11, unruly mobs protesting the Waqf Act had again blocked the national highway, and vandalised government and private property at Suti and Samserganj.

“A part of unruly mob vandalised, looted and torched many private shops, temples and houses, etc at several places in Dhuliyan town under Samserganj police station… After 4 to 5 hours, the national highway got cleared and police started dominating the area,” it said.

It said that at Sajur More in Suti, owing to escalation of violation and “in the right of self-defence, police opened fire with long arms to disperse the crowd to save the lives of police personnel and general people”.

“Two persons got bullet injury due to firing and they were immediately shifted to Jangipur sub-divisional hospital,” it said.

The report said that two persons – Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan Das – were killed by a mob on April 12 at Jafrabad under Samserganj police station.

“As there was large-scale violence at multiple places and seeing the situation going out of control, SP Jangipur police district requested DGP and IGP, West Bengal over telephone for CAPF deployment at about 12 noon at Samserganj police station area,” it said.

Accordingly, two companies of the BSF were deployed and the situation was brought under control by the evening. Two more companies of the BSF and eight companies of the CRPF were deployed later for area domination.

Following an order by the Calcutta High Court on April 12, a total of 17 companies of CAPF have been deployed in Murshidabad district.

The report stated that 60 FIRs have been lodged in Jangipur police district of Murshidabad in connection with the violence.

It said a good number of meetings have been conducted with local religious institutions and authorities, political leaders and others to restrain people from getting affected by rumours and involved in violence.

“It is observed that no major incident of violence occurred since evening of April 12 in Samsherganj police station area,” the report said.

A total of three people, including the father and son, have been killed in the violence. PTI AMR RBT