Reprisals from gangster's aides feared

KOLKATA: Will the arrest of Dulal Banerjee solve law and order problems in Dum Dum or will his associates return to terrorise the area and take up from where he left off?
Banerjee, a Centre of Indian Trade Unions leader and local kingpin, was arrested with two of his associates, around a month ago.
However, more than eight of his associates, all with chargesheets against them, are at large.
“The police have filed charges against Banerjee since 1994, when he beat up Samir Manna, a shopkeeper. A chargesheet was filed against Subrata Banerjee alias Babin. It was Dulal using a different name. Everytime a chargesheet was filed, Dulal was reported absconding,� said a senior police officer.
“He called women to the party office and misbehaved with them. The local police refused to take any action. Even after he beat retired schoolmaster Ashok Das, police refused to react.
“How can we be so sure that his associates will not return?� questioned a local resident. Das was paralysed after the assault. Police officers admitted that not a single house could be rented out in the area without Banerjee’s ‘permission’.
“He ran a parallel administration from the CPM party office.He took money from the landlord as well as the tenant. Even if somebody bought a rickshaw, he had to pay money to Banerjee,� said a police officer.
However, he could not explain why no action had not been taken by authorities.
“His associates were Madan and Barua.The group assaulted policemen and resisted arrest. Again on June 26, 2001, he led a group against the GRP and snatched a criminal from them,� the officer claimed. On September 5, Banerjee assisted by Krishnapada again assaulted railway policemen.
“He entered the railway police barracks at will and assaulted personnel,� said a GRP officer. On Monday, the GRP filed chargesheets against Banerjee in all three cases and he was denied bail by court.
During the assembly elections of 1996, Banerjee led an assault on Ajit Panja’s men with Narain and Robin.