“Their bricks ruptured Sergeant’s eye…” Two more arrested by Kolkata Police in connection with violence during ‘Nabanna Abhijan’

Two more people have been arrested by Kolkata Police on Thursday in connection with the attack on police persons during Tuesday’s protest march to ‘Nabanna’, the state secretariat. The protest rally called by West Bengal Chatra Samaj, witnessed wide-scale clashes and violence after police stopped multiple rallies from multiple directions headed towards Nabanna. The two arrested have been identified as Subrata Das and Rinku Singh, are the same people who were caught on camera hurling bricks at the police force near Babughat in the Northern part of the city. Their video of hurling bricks had gone viral on social media. Police sources confirm, that bricks hurled by them had hit the Kolkata Police Sergeant Debasish Chakraborty, rupturing his left eye.

Sergeant Chakraborty has been admitted to hospital and has undergone two surgeries already but his eye sight isn’t back as yet. At least 15 police personnel have sustained grievous injuries after clashes broke out in Howrah and Kolkata. The protest march was called by Chatra Samaj over the brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (MCH) on August 9, demanding the resignation of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. While the student’s body claimed themselves to be apolitical, but police confirmed several members of the organisation, leading it from the front are affiliated to RSS and ABVP ( Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad). More than 20 members of the organisation were arrested till Wednesday on charges of rioting and arson.

While all Left-wing student bodies had distanced themselves from the organisation, BJP leaders including state president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had openly backed ‘West Bengal Chatra Samaj’ and their law violation program. “We will give all legal assistance to the students who have been arrested”, claimed Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday. Rinku Singh, 39, one of the duo arrested on Thursday, owns a beauty parlour in Behala and also known as “BJP Rinku” in the locality, claim locals.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday had lashed out at BJP for trying to “capitalise on the brutal rape and murder for political gains”. She accused BJP of funding protests and fronts to foment trouble and create a situation similar to Bangladesh. “BJP is trying to play with fire. They think they can create unrest like what we saw in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister must take care of his leaders because if they stoke fire here, then the flames will also reach Delhi”, Banerjee had warned.​