Kolkata: Shock after cops thrash disabled agitators, smash wheelchairs

Kolkata Police cracked down on a rally of the physically and mentally challenged in the city on Wednesday, manhandling the participants, damaging their special-aid vehicles and even using batons to control them.

Kolkata Police cracked down on a rally of the physically and mentally challenged in the city on Wednesday, manhandling the participants, damaging their special-aid vehicles and even using batons to control them.

The assault led to more than 12 agitators being injured and 26 tricycles used by the physically challenged smashed.

The rally was organized to protest against the lynching of Korpan Shah, a mentally challenged youth, in the NRS Medical College hostel and the tardy police probe into the crime.

More than 12 demonstrators were injured and 26 tricycles used by them were smashed by the police. (Prateek Choudhury/HT Photo)



On November 16, Korpan was beaten to death, allegedly by junior doctors and students of NRS Medical College and Hospital, who suspected him to be a cell phone thief.

The police are yet to arrest anyone and the state government has been accused of not speeding up the probe.

“We organized the rally and a law violation programme demanding a speedy probe into the NRS incident. Hundreds of physically challenged people took part. But the police lathi-charged us and damaged their tricycles,” Kanti Ganguly, general secretary of the West Bengal Pratibandhi Sammilani, an umbrella organization of the physically and mentally challenged, said.

“We wanted a proper probe into the death of Korpan. The police are yet to even detain anyone, leave alone arrest. Korpan’s family was present at the rally,” Ganguly, a former CPI(M) minister, said.