Malda youths’ kin cry frame-up

Malda: The families of six Malda youths arrested in Lucknow on charges of violence over Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests can’t believe their wards could be involved and have claimed a conspiracy.
They have been working in hotels in the UP capital for durations ranging from 3 to 10 years. All are from the villages Gangaldiya and Janmadol in Malda’s Harishchandrapur.
One Sagar Ali of Gangaldiya village has been working in a Lucknow hotel for 10 years. He inspired others in his village to try their luck there too. Sanjur Haque and brothers Khaledul and Khairul Haque, all in their early 20s, followed Sagar to Lucknow three to four years ago. Aslam and Md Shah Alam of neighbouring Janmadol too joined them. All are working in various hotels there.
It is learnt that during an anti-CAA agitation in Lucknow two days ago, these youths allegedly joined others in ransacking Lucknow station. UP police are said to have identified them from video footage and arrested them. Malda SP Alok Rajoria, however, said: “We haven’t got any official confirmation from UP police regarding this.”
Back home, neither their families nor neighbours are ready to believe the police version. Khairul and Khaledul’s father Md Hoda broke down and said: “They have been in Lucknow for 3-4 years. They work so hard to send money home. How can they be involved in such anti-national activities? They have been framed by UP police.”
Aslam’s father Abdul Kalam and Shah Alam’s father Muktar Alam said they were “sure our sons are victims of conspiracy’. “We pray to the Bengal government to look into the matter,” they added.
Local panchayat samiti members Jayashri Karmakar and Koyel Das said “we’ll inform the district administration and ask them to find out more details”.