Mob vandalises, torches Hindu houses, shops in Narail

A mob went on a rampage at Dhighalia Bazar in Lohagara of Narail on Friday night damaging at least two homesteads of the Hindu community and several shops and set ablaze a house.

Haran Chandra Pal, officer-in-charge of Lohagarha Police Station, said the mob was running the rampage on the Hindu community accusing them of ‘hurting the religious sentiment’.

The rampage followed a Facebook post from the account of Akash Saha, a student of Nabaganga College, which contained derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad (Sm), he said.

As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Dighalia Bazar throughout the day and later vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also set one of these houses on fire over the issue, the OC said.

On information, police rushed to the spot and fired in the air to bring the situation under control. “Additional police force has been deployed in the area to avert further trouble,” the officer added.

Police have picked up Akash’s father Ashok Saha, a businessman at Dighalia Bazar, on Friday evening but the step failed to tame down the mob’s wrath.

OC Haran claimed that situation at Dighalia is now under control and police are patrolling the area. “We are quizzing Akash’s father. Raids are on to arrest Akash. Legal steps will be taken after investigation,” he said.