Raipur
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, representing Krishnanagar in West Bengal’s Nadia district, has accused Chhattisgarh Police of “abducting” nine labourers from her Lok Sabha constituency. The labourers were allegedly taken from their workplace in Chhattisgarh.
Bastar MP Mahesh Kashyap of the BJP strongly reacted to Moitra’s statement, asserting, “This is Bastar, not Bengal. The police will do their job. TMC has ruined Bengal; they should not worry about Bastar.” Kashyap added that Moitra has no authority to make statements about Bastar.
Moitra shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) on 15 July, claiming the families of these labourers are distressed. She said Chhattisgarh Police did not inform the families or the West Bengal government about the incident.
The TMC MP alleged an “ongoing series of government and police-operated kidnappings” in Chhattisgarh. She stated that nine Bengali masons, working on a private school construction project in Alberapara, Bastar district, were detained by police on Sunday, 13 July. Moitra claimed the labourers possessed all valid documents but were jailed and denied contact with their families. She expressed shock after speaking with a Chhattisgarh IPS officer about the matter.
Moitra alleged the nine labourers were held in Jagdalpur Jail near Bastar and charged under Section 128B of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for “criminal conspiracy by concealing identity“. She mentioned a conversation with a Superintendent of Police, who reportedly claimed the labourers were accused of raping tribal women, an allegation Moitra dismissed as “fake” and termed a “government kidnapping“.
Kondagaon Police, however, claimed the labourers had concealed their true identities. The case was presented in court under BNS Section 128, following which all individuals were released. Police stated that people from various states come to the district for hawking or small businesses, and some use fake names, addresses, and identification cards. Police investigations have uncovered several “shocking cases“.
In one serious case, individuals disguised as hawkers allegedly lured a young woman to Mumbai, where she was confined in a room for six months and given food through a window. She reportedly faced cruelty when she resisted. In another incident, a young woman was taken to Kashmir. Kondagaon Police clarified they are not against any particular state or employment, but believe people should not hide their real identities.
