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| India-Pakistan |
| Mob attacks cops, journalists after road mishap |
| 2008-10-05 |
| KOLKATA: A mob fought a pitched battle with police for nearly two hours in the Charu Market area late on Saturday night after a speeding bus overturned while trying to overtake another. The incident occurred just as Panchami pandal hoppers were hitting the streets. While 14 people were injured in the accident, five policemen were hurt in the streetfight. Police say the relative of a south Kolkata MLA and some local gangsters were behind the attack. Police suspect some of the attackers were part of the mob that had lynched the bodyguard of the Charu Market OC during the 2005 Gobindapur Railway Colony evacuation. The mob set fire to five police vehicles, attacked policemen, stormed into Charu Market police station and ransacked it. RAF was called in, but the mob refused to back down. A volley of tear gas shells and a lathicharge finally broke up the fight. Two buses on routes 1B and 18B, headed for Tollygunge Phanri, were locked in a high-speed race from the Rashbehari Avenue crossing, said Sailen Ghosh, a local resident, who was on the 18B bus. Near Tollygunge rail bridge, the 1B bus tried to overtake the other. The 18B driver pushed to the right and the other driver also instinctively turned right, hitting the divider and turning turtle. Local residents smashed the windows and started rescuing trapped passengers. “Only two seemed seriously injured,” said Apu Chakroborty, one of the rescuers. Police rushed to the spot and took the injured to MR Bangur Hospital. Everything seemed back to normal when a mob suddenly descended on the streets around 9.30 pm. As one group blocked traffic, the other stormed the police station. Several policemen were beaten up and vehicles set on fire. Even mediapersons were assaulted. Outnumbered and taken by surprise, police were on the back foot for over an hour. Later, reinforced by a RAF team, they fought back with tear gas and lathis. Some shopkeepers were apparently beaten up in the melee. It was well past 11 pm when traffic resumed. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #1 "Even mediapersons were assaulted." So there is a silver lining.... :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-10-05 13:30 |