Statesman News Service
MALDA, May 13: More than one thousand Congress workers and leaders blocked National Highway-34 at Kaliachak Chouranghee More this morning with a demand to rescue its ‘kidnapped’ candidate, Mr Ataur Sheikh.The Congress workers became furious when they came to know that a Congress gram panchayat (GP) candidate was allegedly kidnapped by the CPI-M men about 8 p.m. yesterday. The Congress workers continued with the road block for more than an hour with a demand to rescue its candidate within 24-hours and alleged that the CPI-M men kidnapped him fearing defeat in the Silampur-II gram panchayat in Kaliachak-I Block.The Congress workers lifted the road block follow-ing an assurance by the inspector-in charge of Kaliachak police station to rescue the ‘abducted’ candida-te. Police rushed to the sp-ot to sort out traffic snarl on the National Highway-34.Mr Ataur Sheikh was the CPI-M elected member of Silampur-II gram panchayat but later he joined the Congress and decided to contest on behalf of Congress this year. At 3 p.m. Kaliachak po-lice came to know that Mr Sheikh was in a village in Burdwan district. Police have decide to send a team to rescue him from Burdwan.“At 8 p.m. yesterday, we came to know that Mr Ataur Sheikh was missing. Despite repeated attempts, we failed to locate him. Police have ensured that it would send a team to rescue him from Burdwan,” a local Congress leader Mr Enarul Hoque said. Police officers said: “We will have a clear picture of the abduction story once we are able to speak with Mr Ataur Sheikh.”Tension prevails in areas of Kaliachak-I Block in the face of the rural polls as the CPI-M is trying hard to recapture the Kaliachak-I panchayat samiti from the clutches of the Congress. The CPI-M has won 10 out of 18 seats at gram panchayat (GP) level without contesting in Kaliachak-I Block.The Congress has won 8 gram panchayat seats in the same block. The CPI-M has also won two more panchayat samiti (PS) seats in Kaliachak-I Block where the Congress and other political parties could not field candidates in the red bastion fearing attacks. The CPI-M has also won two more gram panchayat seats in Manikchak and Ratua Block areas without contesting.
Abducted Cong candidate rescued
Statesman News Service
DURGAPUR, May 13: A Congress candidate, who was allegedly kidnapped in Malda, escaped and took shelter in a mosque in Durgapur ~ about 300 km away from where he was held. Police rescued him this afternoon. The imam of the mosque said Mr Ataur Sheikh, the Congress candidate for Silampur-II panchayat seat in Kaliachawk area, Malda, talked to his family members and party colleagues several times over his cell phone while sitting inside the mosque. A police team from Malda is scheduled to arrive in Durgapur by this evening to take him back to Malda where the election is scheduled on 18 May. Mr Ataur Sheikh was allegedly kidnapped yesterday evening when he was on his way home after campaigning. He escaped from the kidnappers’ grasp from City Centre area this afternoon while his tormentors were eating lunch at a roadside restaurant. He reached the said mosque at Polashdiha village, located opposite City Centre, around 1 p.m. Mr Kamal Sheikh, imam of the mosque, said: “He asked for shelter and, of course, we could not refuse him. But when he narrated his story we suggested he first go to police and then return to the mosque. He was in constant touch with his family members and party workers over his cell phone.” The imam said the candidate had told them he was kidnapped by three men yesterday evening from Kaliachawk area. “He told us he was hit on the back of his head with a rod, after which he fell to the ground,” the imam added. Police said the candidate had told them he was taken to Durgapur in a Tata Sumo vehicle by the group of kidnappers, who told him he was to stay on here till polling gets over in Malda. A police team rescued Mr Ataur Sheikh from Palashdiha village around 1.30 p.m. today. Police, however, failed to nab the criminals and also failed to impound the vehicle that Sheikh said had been parked near a park. Mr DS Rudra, ASP, Durgapur, said he was aware of the incident. “The SP, Malda, has informed me over the phone that a police team will reach here soon to escort the candidate back to Malda.” He added that since a case had already has been registered at Kaliachawk police station, Durgapur police would not interfere in the investigation. “The Malda police will inquire into the case,” he said. #####
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