By Soumitra Nandi
Kolkata: The cops of the police outpost at Champdani in Hooghly district of West Bengal bore the brunt of detaining the motorcycle of the friend of the Trinamool candidate of the forthcoming municipal elections on Sunday afternoon. A group of people owing allegiance to the ruling party went on a rampage at the outpost ransacking there police vehicles and nine police motorcycles. Inspector in charge of the Bhadreshwar police station and some other policemen were injured when they tried to stop the onslaught at the outpost.
According to police sources, two motorcycles were detained by them for not having valid documents in the morning while routine checking was on. Within an hour, the candidate of ward number 3 of the Champdani municipality Bikram Gupta reached the police station along with a good number of his supporters. “Gupta told us to release the two motorcycles immediately. When we paid a deaf ear to his demand he caught Jayanta Pal, incharge of our police outpost by his collar and threatened him with dire consequences. As soon as we rushed to his rescue, they went berserk,” said an official of the outpost.
“A large number of TMC workers allegedly attacked the police outpost, ransacked it and pelted stones at some police vehicles causing damage to them,” said Superintendent of police, Hooghly Sunil Kumar Chowdhury. A large police force from the adjoining police stations rushed to the spot to bring situation under control. Inspector in charge of Bhadreshwar police station Anudyuti Majumder and five other police men were injured in the process. Combat force and EFR were pressed into service for maintaining law and order in the area.
The police had detained 18 persons on charges of assaulting cops on duty and ransacking of government property. However, the main accused Bikram Gupta is absconding. The police have launched a manhunt to nab him.
Strongly criticizing the ruling party, a CPM leader said that the police had managed to pull up the jeep that was toppled by the agitators but who would pull up the morale of the men in uniform?
Rubbishing all criticisms local TMC leaders denied their men’s involvement in the incident. However Muzaffar Khan, local TMC MLA said,” I assure strong action against partymen, if they are found to be involved in the matter.”