Protesting mob sets police station on fire in kaliaganj

Protesting mob sets police station on fire in kaliaganj

Protesters laid siege to the station over the alleged rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl and violence soon broke out; the ruling Trinamool and the BJP blame each other for the situation.

Violence erupted in Kaliaganj town of Uttar Dinajpur district in West Bengal on Tuesday with the local people setting fire to a police station during a protest against the death of a teenage girl.

Earlier in the day, the protesters called for a siege of the Kaliaganj police station over the alleged rape and murder of a 17-year-old teenager from Rajbanshi. The situation turned violent and the people attacked the station. The mob broke barricades and threw stones at the building. A few people set fire to several motorbikes and another vehicle parked on the premises.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control. The police faced a considerable challenge to disperse the mob. They had to fire tear gas shells and resort to baton charge.

Kaliaganj has been on the boil for the past few days over the death of the girl. Her family members and the local people have been alleging that she was sexually assaulted and killed.

According to the West Bengal Police, the post-mortem said that the death was due to consumption of poison. What has irked the family members is that a few policemen dragged the body of the victim, as seen in a video. Four assistant sub-inspectors were suspended on Monday for the alleged act.

The death of the girl had triggered a public spat between the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights. NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had visited Kaliaganj and blamed the police authorities for mishandling the situation.

The body of the girl was found floating in a canal in Kaliaganj on April 21. Alleging that she was raped and killed, the people put up road blockades by burning tyres and setting several shops on fire. Since then, the situation has remained volatile with occasional clashes between the people and the police.

After the violence at the police station, the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party blamed each other for the situation.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the attack and blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.