Ramakrishna Mission Building in Siliguri Attacked by Armed Men

A group of more than ten individuals are said to have broken into a Ramakrishna Mission building in Siliguri early on Sunday morning, beaten up employees and security guards, and taken the victims away before releasing them at a later time.

According to sources, the attack was carried out by people thought to be connected to the local land mafia.

Sewak House is a two-story structure under the management of the Jalpaiguri branch of Ramakrishna Mission. It is situated on a 1.59-acre tract of land on Sevoke Road in ward 42 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

The unit secretary, Swami Shivapremananda, stated that the land was given to the Mission by the late Sunil Kumar Roy via a duly filed trust deed.

We run a number of social welfare and relief initiatives out of the property. Shivapremananda reported to the Bhaktinagar police station that early on Sunday morning, "some people carrying firearms, daggers, and iron rods jumped over the boundary wall and entered the premises."

The two armed security guards were overwhelmed by the ten to fifteen attackers, who were disguised as helmet wearers to prevent detection. After tying them up, the attackers took their smartphones.

"They gave back the phones and disposed of the SIM cards. The assailants made their way upstairs, where our employees reside. Five workers were attacked as well, according to Shivapremananda.

The seven people, including the security officers and employees, were made to leave and get into a car.

Five of our workers were dropped off at the New Jalpaiguri railway station by the assailants who stole the vehicle. The secretary stated that two more people were taken out of the automobile at other locations.

After visiting the building, a police squad began investigating. The parcel is located in an area where land values have increased dramatically in recent years, according to sources.

On the other hand, the Ramakrishna Mission has been preparing to establish a school on the property.

"Our cops are looking into the matter. We are investigating the reason for the attack and trespass," a Siliguri Metropolitan Police source stated.

Referring to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made reference to it while in Bengal on Monday for public speeches.

"These organizations are being threatened by the chief minister... TMC thugs are further emboldened by this intimidation. Vandalism at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Jalpaiguri recently brings attention to the state's worsening predicament, Modi said at a Jhargram rally.

According to Siliguri sources, there were initially no political connections with the Sewak House raid.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.