The police personnel of Kolkata police who allegedly kicked protesting teachers in front of the DI office of Kasba on Wednesday was deputed as the Investigating Officer of the case lodged against the teachers. However, after a series of protests from different corners, Kolkata police withdrew him and named another officer as the IO.
On Wednesday, teachers who lost their jobs after the Supreme Court cancelled the recruitment of over 25,000 school staff — carried out in 2016 by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) — gathered at the office of the District Inspector (DI) of schools at Kasba to protest against the state government. The office was locked, and the protesters allegedly tried to break the lock.
When police resorted to lathi-charging to make the protestors disperse, the teachers alleged that one of the officers kicked a teacher and that many of the teachers were injured.
After this, DI Sanjay Chattopadhyay lodged a complaint with police, where he wrote, “This is to inform you that today (April 9) at about 12.11 pm, all of a sudden, a crowd of nearly 400-500 protestors assembled at the gate of Siksha Bhavan and started slogan saying ‘Ajke DI office bhenge debo, eder jonne amader chakri geche’ (Today we will break the DI office, we lost our jobs because of them) loudly, and then without any provocation, instantaneously broke the locked main gate of the campus. They rushed to the ground floor of this office and abused and attacked the working employees of the office.”
The complaint further read, “At that time, a few (police) tried to pacify them, but the protestors began to beat the office employees and police personnel with fists and blows and as a result, one policewoman fell down on the ground and policemen were also injured while trying to pacify the protestors. Thereafter, the protestors tried to vent out their anger by damaging the furniture of the office.”
The Kasba police station filed an FIR against protesting teachers. Ritan Das was named as the IO, but after protests from people, including from some Opposition party members, the IP was changed. A senior official of Kolkata police said, “Kasba PS was told to change the name of the IO from the headquarters. Top officials of Kolkata Police are not happy with this decision.”
The FIR was filed under sections 190 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 191(2) (rioting), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) of the BNS.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd