Sub-Inspector shot dead in student violence in Kolkata

A sub-inspector of the Special Branch of the Kolkata Police was shot dead when members of the Congress and Trinamool Congress student unions of a local college clashed in the Garden Reach area of the city on Tuesday.

V Solomon, DC (Port), said the clash occurred when nomination forms for students' union election in the Hari Mohan Ghosh college were being distributed among candidates.

Tapas Chowdhury, the SI, received bullet injury in the violence which witnessed bombs and brickbats being freely used by students and also local goons.

He was declared brought dead after he was taken to the CMRI hospital nearby.

Solomon said, "The clash took place between TMCP (Trinamool Congress student wing) and CP (Congress student wing) and shots were fired in which the sub-inspector suffered injury leading to his death."

Additional force had been sent and a police picket posted in the area, while transport was being diverted, police sources said.

State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, who visited the area soon after the violence and held talks with the police and students, alleged that criminals sheltered by the Congress and the CPI-M were involved in the incident.

The state Congress strongly reacted to Hakim's allegation, with its president Pradip Bhattacharya demanding a CBI investigation into the violence.

"The society of the entire state and Kolkata has gone for a toss under this regime. We demand a CBI investigation into the incident," Bhattacharya said.

He also accused the police and the state administration of surrendering constitutional norms and rights to the goons.

Bhattacharya said he would write to the Centre about the incident.

The CPI(M) also slammed the Trinamool Congress-led state government, saying lawlessness in the city had touched a new low during the rule.

"The incident proves a lawless situation in the city. The state administration and police have turned into mute spectators. So such kind of things are bound to happen," CPI(M) central committee member Mohammed Salim said.

... contd.

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