Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS): Four persons were arrested in two separate cases registered by the Kolkata Police on Tuesday morning, in connection with the major violence that broke out recently, in two phases within a college campus at Bhangar in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.
The four arrested persons have been identified as Rabiul Zama Sheikh, Akhtar Ali Molla, Rabiul Mistry and Aslam Habib. Although originally, Bhangar, being under the administrative jurisdiction of the South 24 Parganas district, was under the jurisdiction of the West Bengal Police, towards the closing quarters of the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime, it was brought under the law & order jurisdiction of Kolkata Police.
The root of the tension at Bhangar College, which is located at a thoroughly minority-dominated area in South 24 Parganas district, broke out after the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman, Sayantan Basu, who is the president of the managing committee of Bhangar College, reached the college campus for administrative functioning.
The activists of the CPI(M)’s students’ wing, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), started protesting over Basu’s visit to the campus. Soon the activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also reached the spot, following which massive altercations broke out between the two students’ groups, which ultimately led to two rounds of clashes between the two groups.
A huge contingent reached the spot and somehow brought the situation under control. Now, on Tuesday morning, the cops have arrested four individuals in connection with the clashes.
Its is learnt that that the police registered a suo motu case in the mater at Bhangar Police station in relation to which Rabiul Mistry and Rabiul Zaman Sheikh were arrested
There are multiple charges against them including illegal assembly, illegal entry into the college, and obstructing the president of the management committee, said a city police insider.
On the other hand, a section of ABVP activists also filed a written complaint with Bhangar police station. On the basis of that complaint, another case was registered by the police in connection to which the other two persons were arrested.
All four of them will be presented at a district court in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday and the public prosecutor will seek their police custody.
Following Monday’s violence, a police picket has been set up in front of the Bhangar College premises since Tuesday morning. The police are also keeping an eye on the situation to ensure that no new unrest breaks out.
