The police in Bengal’s Malda district on Thursday arrested seven people for their alleged involvement in the violence at Sujapur during the 24-hour nation-wide general strike called by Congress and Left trade unions against the amended citizenship law.
On Wednesday afternoon, tension gripped Sujapur in the Kaliachak police station area when some strike supporters blocked NH-34 and started pelting stones at the police who tried to remove the blockade. Crude bombs were also alleged thrown. Seven policemen were injured and several vehicles were damaged. Police fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells after baton charge failed to bring the situation under control. The mob comprised a few hundred people.
Incidentally, a controversy occured when some video clips surfaced on social media on Wednesday. The videos showed some men in police uniform and carrying a rifle damaging private vehicles. At the same spot a number of cars, including two police vehicles, were also set on fire.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress leaders alleged that the men in the videos were police personnel and said the arson was staged by the government to corner the opposition. Some local people also alleged before the media that they saw a civic police volunteer vandalizing the cars.
Congress legislator from Sujapur, Isha Khan Chowdhury, called the media and showed the video shortly after the arson. “No Congress activist damaged the vehicles, police personnel committed the crime and blamed us,” Khan Chowdhury said on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}Congress legislator from Sujapur, Isha Khan Chowdhury, called the media and showed the video shortly after the arson. “No Congress activist damaged the vehicles, police personnel committed the crime and blamed us,” Khan Chowdhury said on Wednesday.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, an official of Kaliachak police station said on condition of anonymity that no action was taken against any police personnel. “We nabbed more than 23 people in connection with the violence and released 12 of them after verifying their whereabouts,” he said.
Malda Superintendent of Police Alok Rajoria said, “Seven people have been arrested for damaging government property and spreading violence. We have identified the arrested people on the basis of photos and video footage.”
Rajoria said, “We have seen the video footage where some men in uniform were seen damaging vehicles. We are verifying the veracity of the clippings. Stern action will be taken if any police personnel is found to be associated with the vandalism.”
Khan Chowdhury said, “I have requested the local police and the SP not to arrest any innocent person. The SP has assured me that arrests will be made only after proper verification.”
“There are at least two videos in the public domain where police personnel can be seen damaging public and private property. However, until Thursday afternoon, no action has been taken against them,” said Khan Chowdhury.
The arrested men were identified as Amanul Haque(35), Abu Sufiyan (21), Imran Ali (38), Ashraful Sheikh (26), Md Sanaullah Haque (22), Md. Mokim Sheikh (30) and Mustafijur Rahaman (32).