Violence erupts in Kolkata's Behala over organising fair

Houses were ransacked and crude bombs were hurled as two groups of people clashed over organising a fair in the Behala area of the city, police said. A Kolkata Police officer said five persons were detained for their alleged involvement in the incident that erupted on Tuesday midnight over holding Charak Melanear Prafulla Sen Colony area.

Houses were ransacked and crude bombs were hurled as two groups of people clashed over organising a fair in the Behala area of the city, police said. A Kolkata Police officer said five persons were detained for their alleged involvement in the incident that erupted on Tuesday midnight over holding ‘Charak Mela’near Prafulla Sen Colony area. Bricks were hurled, soda bottles were thrown and people wielding sticks ransacked some houses, the police officer said. The law enforcers present in the area were outnumbered and reinforcements from the local police station could finally bring the situation under control, the officer added. Adequate policemen have been deployed in the area. Locals claimed that two factions of the Trinamool Congress were involved in the clash but the TMC leadership denied the allegation. BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said various factions of the TMC are “squabbling among themselves for a share of spoils” across the state, including the city. ''These fights are leading to a scare among ordinary citizens. The police have become mute spectators,'' Ghosh added. Rani Das, a housewife, alleged that about 30 youths stormed her house, ransacked it, and beat her and other family members. ''They were drunk and did not listen to our pleas,'' Das added.

The annual ‘Charak Mela’ is held in the area on the eve of ‘Bangla Nababarsho’. The Bengali New Year will be celebrated on April 15 this year. PTI SUS MM MM