The father of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) volunteer Shaik Abdul Hafeez died on Saturday after allegedly suffering serious injuries during an assault at his home in Karisunda village of Bankura district, West Bengal.
The CJP has alleged that local BJP workers attacked Hafeez and his family after he visited a government primary school as part of the party’s “School Thik Karo” campaign, which seeks to highlight shortcomings in government-school infrastructure.
According to the CJP, Hafeez visited the school on August 13 to assess its condition and document issues. Later that evening, a group of men allegedly entered his residence and demanded that he record an apology video for highlighting the school’s condition.
When Hafeez allegedly refused, the group assaulted him and his family members, the CJP said. Hafeez reportedly suffered a serious neck injury, while his father, Janab Mafik, sustained severe head injuries.
Mafik was taken to a government hospital for treatment but died on August 15, according to the CJP. The organisation has demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and an impartial investigation.
Hafeez has alleged that BJP workers were behind the attack. However, the allegation has not yet been independently established. Reports indicate that police confirmed the death but initially said that no formal complaint or FIR had been registered.
Bankura Superintendent of Police V.G. Satish Pasumarthi told ThePrint that suspects had been detained and that legal action would follow after the family lodged a complaint.
CJP founder and national convener Abhijeet Dipke condemned the incident and demanded justice for Hafeez’s family. He said the organisation would send a team to West Bengal to support the family and pursue the matter.
The incident has sparked political controversy, with the CJP alleging that the assault was linked to Hafeez’s campaign to highlight deficiencies in a government school. Further investigation is expected to establish the circumstances of the assault, identify those responsible and determine the exact sequence of events leading to Mafik’s death.
For now, the allegation that BJP workers carried out the assault should be treated as an allegation pending investigation and legal proceedings.
