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Police beat up Lalgarh women PSBJC supporters

Raktima Bose

Teargas shells and batons used to disperse supporters during procession

They were protesting against alleged police atrocities on the locals
PSBJC leadership plans to hold a series
of rallies

KOLKATA: Fresh trouble erupted in the Lalgarh region of West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Tuesday when police burst tear gas shells and used batons to disperse women supporters of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC), who had taken out a procession defying prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code imposed in the area.

The incident occurred when the procession was trying to pass by the local thana. The women were protesting against the alleged police atrocities on the locals. Many among the protestors, who numbered about 200, were armed with traditional weapons.

Trouble broke out when they were stopped by policemen posted at the thana. During the scuffle that ensued, tear gas shells were burst and the women baton charged. Though the police denied that anyone was hurt, leaders of the PSBJC alleged that three women supporters were critically injured.

The district’s Superintendent of Police, Manoj Kumar Verma, told The Hindu over telephone from Midnapore: “Holding processions in the area is prohibited since Section 144 is being imposed over there. The police had to fire tear-gas shells and lathi-charge a few supporters when they tried to enter the area forcefully.”

Mr. Verma said some of the protestors were arrested, and security at the Lalgarh thana has been stepped up following the incident.

The PSBJC leadership plans to hold a series of rallies and processions over the next few days in protest against the incident.

“We will decide the next course of action at a meeting to be held on Wednesday. Such atrocities by the police and the administration will not be tolerated,” said Asit Mahato, a PSBJC leader.

Trinamool team visits Lalgarh

A Trinamool Congress team comprising the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Partha Chatterjee, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Sisir Adhikary, and Union Minister of State for Shipping, Mukul Roy, visited the troubled Lalgarh area earlier in the day.

Mr. Chatterjee demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Central security forces from the region.

“The State police are committing atrocities against innocent people in the name of flushing out Maoists. We will appeal to the Centre to withdraw the Central forces immediately, and urge it to take up development programmes here as early as possible,” he said.

Alleging that the police were “purposefully” arresting Trinamool Congress supporters in the name of nabbing Maoists, Mr. Adhikary said the team will submit a report to party chief Mamata Banerjee, who will take up the matter with the Centre.

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