Raiganj cops face heat after molest bid at immersion

Malda: Suspected Trinamool supporters assaulted cops and ransacked a police station at Raiganj in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur district after a TMCP leader was allegedly assaulted by men in uniform for “protesting against molestation of a young woman” during a Durga idol immersion on the banks of the Kulik on Dashami night.

Late that night, Susanta Saha alias Dulu was arrested on charges of molestation. He was produced in court on Wednesday and remanded in jail custody.

The incident happened when the victim, in her 20s, was allegedly molested by a drunken youth. Though she slapped him, he assaulted her again. She returned with her friends, including Anup Kar, district TMCP president and panchayat samiti member.

After Kar got involved in a squabble with the youth, police began a lathicharge and allegedly assaulted Kar. Suspected TMC youths soon reached the police station, ransacked it and assaulted sub-inspector Sandip Chakraborty and three other cops. Raiganj municipality vice-chairman Arindam Sarkar later reached the police station and pacified TMC workers.

Kar said: “We were assaulted by police. Many of us were seriously wounded. If police do not act, we’ll resort to a more intense agitation.” SP Sumit Kumar said: “A youth was beaten out of suspicion and police resorted to a lathicharge to rescue him.”