Outsiders also involved in agitation at Kasba DI office incident, says top cop

Kolkata: Kolkata Police Commissioner (CP) Manoj Kumar Verma, on Friday, claimed that the protest at the Kasba DI office on April 9 was not limited to dismissed teachers alone. He alleged that several outsiders had also joined the agitation.

Responding to media queries about the removal of Sub-Inspector (SI) Ritan Das of Kasba Police Station as the Investigating Officer (IO) in one of the cases related to the vandalism and assault on police personnel, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said such changes are routine and have been done in several previous cases. “When we find that an officer is under pressure or facing other issues, we replace the IO,” Verma stated.

On Friday, during a press conference at Lalbazar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rupesh Kumar, in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner of the South Suburban Division (SSD), presented video footage and claimed that the police attempted to pacify the protestors even after two security perimeters set up to restrain the teachers were breached.

By showing the footage, Kumar further alleged that the police were attacked first and that 13 police personnel were injured during the April 9 incident.

A sergeant, identified as Tanmoy Mondal, sustained critical injuries to his right knee and has been advised bed rest. Kumar informed that first, the mob breached the perimeter set up ahead of the main gate where guard rails were set up to stop the protestors. Then a few protestors climbed the main gate and the lock was broken from inside to provide others free access inside the premises. When the mob was trying to move ahead and break the lock of the collapsible gate to gain entry to the building, police used mild force to disperse the protestors. Meanwhile, when CP was asked whether they failed to apprehend that such a law-and-order issue might take place, Verma said: “It was a teachers’ programme. It was beyond our apprehension that they would go violent. The programme was to put up a lock. But instead, they broke the lock. We did not expect that teachers would

assault the cops.”

He stated that Das, whose image was circulated, was assaulted during the incident—suffering injuries to his chest and being slapped near his ear. His spectacles were also broken in the scuffle. However, the CP, addressing the allegation of Das kicking a teacher, said the matter would be looked into to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.