KOLKATA: The streets of Kolkata and Howrah turned into a battleground for protesters and police Tuesday, leaving scores wounded in a shower of water cannons, tear gas, stones and bricks as the administration tried to cordon off the planned student-led march to Nabanna, the Bengal secretariat, over the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.
Police said at least 37 of their personnel suffered injuries in clashes at mainly five spots: Howrah Bridge-MG Road, Hastings-Prinsep Ghat, Santragachhi on the outskirts of the city, Foreshore Road-Mandirtala and Howrah Maidan-Mullick Fatak.At each of these places, the clashes began after the marchers ran into police barricades. Many of them were injured and had to be taken to hospital, but no official count was available till late evening.
The first rumblings of violence were felt around 1pm and erupted into a frenzy that lasted over three hours. At each site, the violence began when sections of the mob – armed with stones, iron rods and bamboo poles – attacked cops after overturning guardrails, officials said.
Kolkata cops file 11 FIRs over violence, release pics of 21
At least one official, Chanditala circle inspector Sanjib Ganguly, was seriously wounded in stone-pelting at Mullick Fatak. He received five stitches on his head. Kolkata Police, under fire from courts for its handling of the aftermath of the Aug 9 rape-murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar hospital, released images of four cops with bloodied faces.
At central Kolkata’s Prinsep Ghat and Bowbazar, the police contingent was outnumbered by the protesters and had even guardrails hurled at them. A video of a mob chasing a lone traffic cop was circulating on social media. Five police vehicles were damaged and at least one bike belonging to a cop was set ablaze in Babughat, officials said.
On Howrah’s Foreshore Road, across the Hooghly that separates it from Kolkata, police resorted to caning a crowd that brought down 10ft-high barricades. At some places, protesters squatted on the road.
In Santragachhi, across the landmark Vidyasagar Setu, barricade-climbing protesters faced water cannons. Similar scenes unfolded in Hastings.
Kolkata Police registered 11 FIRs linked to the day’s violence. A total of 245 people were arrested and 153 detained for questioning. Police released pictures of 21 protesters, terming them “instigators of violence” and seeking information about their identities and whereabouts.
“Things could have been infinitely worse had we not arrested some and seized weapons and bombs from them,” ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar told reporters. In the evening, BJP organised a march to Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, alleging atrocities on protesters and demanding the immediate release of those arrested and detained.
“Police showed courtesy and did not react to instigations despite being attacked,” ADG Sarkar said.
