Kolkata, July 25 (IANS). Police arrested 11 people on Saturday in Kolkata, West Bengal. The arrests were made in connection with the unrest that broke out during a procession of students and youth a day earlier.
Police said none of those arrested were students and two of the accused were planning to flee to another state. He was arrested from Andal in West Burdwan district.
The police took this action within 24 hours of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari warning of strict action against those instigating unrest.
An accused named Mohammad Afroz is also included among those arrested. He is a resident of Rajabagan area of Metiabruz, Kolkata.
The police identified him after watching the video footage.
The police was searching for him since Friday. Eventually, the police received information that the accused youth was in Andal, West Bardhaman.
Subsequently, investigators raided Andal’s house and arrested him.
Mohammad Azad, a resident of Garden Reach area of Kolkata, was also arrested from Andal.
Chief Minister Adhikari warned of strict action on Friday night, following which he gave a statement in the state assembly on Saturday morning.
Among the five goons named by the Chief Minister in connection with Friday’s unrest, the name of Mohammad Afroz of Rajbagan is also included, whom he has described as a ‘notorious scoundrel’.
The remaining arrested include Arshad Ali (50), a resident of Amherst Street police station area of Kolkata.
Four people have been arrested from Jorasanko police station area, identified as Irfan Khurshid, Mohammad Alamgir, Imran Ahmed and Khalid Raza.
Apart from this, Mohammad Moinuddin from Tiljala, Zameer Ahmed from Beniyapukur and Mohsin Khan and Deepak Bhowmik from Karaya have also been arrested.
The Chief Minister told the state Assembly on Saturday morning that 70 people who took part in the procession, who are not students, have been identified.
According to the Chief Minister, none of these 70 people are students or members of the ‘Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). He has no connection with the NEET movement.
A procession was organized at Esplanade in Kolkata on Friday to protest against corruption in education and NEET paper leak.
It is alleged that an attempt was made to attack the police from there.
It has also been alleged that journalists were also attacked.
A total of seven cases have been registered in Friday’s incident, six at Hare Street police station and one at Entali in Kolkata.
The Anti-Hooliganism Act has also been added to the cases registered against the accused.
The state government has invoked the recently passed law in the state assembly for the first time in this incident.
The Chief Minister said in the state Assembly on Saturday morning, “Everyone saw that the police exercised restraint. This was the order. They did not fall into any trap. The procession was taking place. After reaching Dorina Crossing, shoes and bottles started being thrown from there. Journalists were targeted. They wanted to get the police lathi-charged, created a ruckus, but the police did not give them such an opportunity. Six journalists were seriously injured. They are undergoing treatment in the hospital.”
–IANS
DKP/