At a time when deputy election commissioner Sudeep Jain is taking stock of the poll preparedness in West Bengal, including the state’s law and order situation, a video surfaced on Thursday in which a police officer could be seen being thrashed by a group of villagers.
Top police officers confirmed the incident and said that it took place at Jhalda in Purulia district, around 350 km northwest of Kolkata, on Tuesday.
“We have already arrested two people. The victim is still in the hospital undergoing treatment,” said S Selvamurugan, Superintendent of police of Purulia district.
The victim, Hemanta Saha said that he went to the spot with a court order along with some other police personnel.
“Some trouble was going on over a disputed piece of land. We had gone there with a court order when we were attacked,” Saha told the media at the hospital.
Back in Kolkata, Jain held a meeting with some of the state’s top bureaucrats. On Wednesday, he held meetings with the district magistrates, superintendents of police and police commissioners.
Soon after the video surfaced the Bharatiya Janata Party’s unit in Bengal upped its ante against the ruling Trinamool Congress.
{{/usCountry}}Soon after the video surfaced the Bharatiya Janata Party’s unit in Bengal upped its ante against the ruling Trinamool Congress.
{{/usCountry}}“There is no peace and law and order in the state. This is the only contribution of Mamata Banerjee. We are now in a state of anarchy which can only go when BJP comes to power,” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, vice president of Bengal BJP.
The TMC, however, hit back saying that it was under the BJP’s provocations that people have started attacking the police.
“The BJP’s state head Dilip Ghosh has been inciting people against the police. This is leading to such violence against the police,” said Saugata Roy, TMC MP.