Bengal police station set afire, 17 cops injured in protests over teen's alleged rape and murder
At least two policemen were critically injured and rushed to the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital for treatment
At least 17 policemen were injured, including two critically, when miscreants attacked a police station and set a police barrack on fire in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district on Tuesday after protests over the murder of a minor girl last week turned violent.
Violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the mob also set ablaze several vehicles parked in the police station premises. Police resorted to baton charge and used water cannons to disperse the mob. Police also fired tear gas shells to control the situation. Police detained 25 people and raids were going in till reports last came in, a senior officer said, requesting anonymity.
On Tuesday afternoon, Rajbonshi Tapasili O Adivasi Sammanayan Samiti — a body of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities — organised a rally and sit-in demonstration outside the Kalianganj police station, to protest against the death of the minor girl, whose body was found floating in a canal in Kaliaganj on Friday.
When police tried to stop the mob, a clash broke out. The miscreants attacked the police station with stones. Some of the protestors managed to enter the police station premises and set a police barrack on fire. At least two policemen were critically injured and rushed to the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
Read: Clashes in Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur after minor found dead, family alleges rape
“Tuesday’s attack on the police station and the policemen seems to be pre-planned and instigated by a few persons having vested interests. No permission was given by the police for the demonstration and the rally. The attackers kept women on the front line. Police showed restraint till they were attacked,” said Ajoy Kumar, inspector general of police, north Bengal.
The 17-year-old girl, who had gone missing on April 20, was found dead the next day. While the girl’s family has alleged that she was raped and murdered, preliminary post-mortem examination of the body indicated she had not been raped. The girl’s family has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incident.
A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been filed based on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother. Police have arrested two men, including a 20-year-old prime accused, in the case.
On Saturday a purported video of police dragging the body of the minor went viral on social media, triggering a political row. HT could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video. On Monday, four police officers were suspended for allegedly dragging the body of the girl on road at Kaliaganj.
Meanwhile, the violence on Tuesday trigged a political blame game, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pointing a finger at each other.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh held the BJP responsible for the arson. “The BJP is misguiding the Adivasis and instigating them to attack the police,” Ghosh said.
The opposition party, however, targeted chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the incident.
“…This is the result of complete failure on the part of the law and order machinery. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is responsible for it,” leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said.
(With PTI inputs)
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