BALURGHAT, May 14 -- Police have arrested three persons in connection with the vandalism of the statue of tribal icons Sidho and Kanho in South Dinajpur district, an incident that had triggered widespread outrage and tension in the area last week.

The arrested persons have been identified as Uttam Chowdhury (39), Uday Chowdhury (50) and Golak Basak (58). According to police, the accused were produced before the Gangarampur Sub-Divisional Court and investigators sought 14 days' police custody for further interrogation but the court granted three days' police remand. Police said firearms, along with cartridges and two sharp weapons, were recovered from the possession of the accused.

District Superintendent of Police Chinmay Mittal said: "Three persons have been arrested. Firearms have been recovered from them. We are also investigating whether more people were involved in the incident." The controversy erupted on Friday night after the statue of Sidho and Kanho at Deuria under Ganguria Gram Panchayat in Banshihari block was allegedly vandalised under the cover of darkness. Allegations also surfaced that BJP flags were planted at the site after the statue was damaged.

Local residents alleged that BJP supporters were behind the incident. The vandalism sparked protests across the region, with members of the Adivasi community staging demonstrations and road blockades on the Buniyadpur-Daulatpur road on Saturday.

During the protests, allegations were also raised against a section of local residents for vandalising several shops and a BJP party office in the area. Protesters allegedly set BJP flags, furniture and other materials inside the office on fire.

However, local BJP leaders denied any involvement in the statue vandalism. They claimed that none of their party workers had damaged the statue or placed party flags at the site.

Police officials, meanwhile, maintained that preliminary investigation indicates the arrested persons were directly involved in the incident. Investigations are continuing to determine whether others were part of the conspiracy behind the vandalism and the subsequent unrest.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.