A party leader from Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress took part in last month's violence in Murshidabad, a report by a committee set up by the Calcutta High Court stated.

The attacks took place during the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The violence triggered a major political controversy. The attackers targeted Hindus. When the victims asked for help, the police did not respond, the report stated.

The report described widespread arson, looting, and destruction of malls and shops. "The attacks were directed by local councillor Mehboob Alam... the local police remained completely inactive and absent," the report said. NDTV accessed a copy of the report.

The main attack erupted on Friday, April 11, after 2:30 pm. "Local councillor Mehboob Alam came with miscreants," the report said. Residents from Samserganj, Hizaltala, Shiulitala, and Digri joined them with their faces covered.

"Amirul Islam came, saw which houses were not attacked, and the attackers then set them ablaze… The villagers of Betbona telephoned, but the West Bengal Police did not respond… The MLA was also present. He saw the vandalism and went away," the report stated.

The attackers had cut the water connection, so the fire could not be put out. The report added that 113 houses in Betbona village suffered the worst damage.

The homes were destroyed and "would not be habitable without thorough reconstruction… the women of the village are afraid and have taken shelter with their relatives," the report added.

On April 12, Muslim neighbours killed a Hindu man and his son, the report said. The violence that followed destroyed local shops and markets. Grocery shops, hardware shops, electrical outlets, and textile stores were wiped out. The attackers also vandalised temples. All of this happened within 300 metres of the local police station.

In Murshidabad's Ghoshpara, 29 shops were damaged. Looters ransacked and shut down a mall-style market, the report said.

The investigation team included members from the National Human Rights Commission, the State Legal Services Authority, and the Judicial Services. The team submitted the report today before a division bench of the High Court. The panel visited the affected villages and spoke to the victims.