West Bengal: Mob breaches sec 144, sets police station afire to protest girl's death in Kaliaganj
Kaliaganj (WB), Apr 25: Violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, miscreants set fire to Kaliaganj police station in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district on Tuesday to protest against the death of a teenage girl whose body was found in a canal here last week.
The mob also set ablaze several vehicles including two-wheelers parked near the police station building which was reduced to ashes. Two police personnel were injured in the attack.
An official said people allegedly belonging to the Adivasi and Rajbangshi communities organised a "Thana gherao" programme on Tuesday afternoon protesting against alleged "police inaction" in the case and claiming that the girl had been raped and murdered.
Preliminary post-mortem examination of the girl's body, however, indicated she had not been raped.
While the ruling Trinamool Congress blamed the opposition BJP for the incident, the saffron camp alleged "complete failure" of the law and order machinery.
The protestors, who also demanded suspension of Raiganj Police District SP Md Sana Akhtar, threw stones at the police personnel deployed there before breaking barricades.
The police started a baton charge and used water cannons but could not stop the mob from entering the police station and setting it on fire.
"The situation is under control at the moment. We have deployed a huge number of policemen including RAF (Rapid Action Force) personnel," the IPS officer told PTI, adding that two policemen were injured in the clash.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were clamped in parts of Kaliaganj on Sunday morning, ahead of the visit of a team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
Meanwhile, the war of words between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, which started after the girl's body was found, continued ahead of the panchayat election in the state.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh held the BJP responsible for the arson.
"The BJP is misguiding the Adivasis and instigating them to attack the police," Ghosh said.
The saffron camp, however, pointed the finger at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the incident.
"I do not support attacks on police personnel. But I have come to know that the police had attacked the people who were peacefully carrying out their protests. This is the result of complete failure on the part of the law and order machinery. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is responsible for it," Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said.
None was arrested in connection with Tuesday's arson till the filing of this report.
The police earlier arrested six people after a mob attacked them and set on fire several shops and vehicles in Kaliaganj following the recovery of the girl's body on April 21.
NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday met the girl's family. He alleged severe lapses by the state police in investigating the case, and said he will submit a report to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Four police officers, all in the rank of Assistant Sub Inspectors, were Monday suspended for allegedly dragging the body of the girl on the road while removing it from the spot where it was found, amid protests by people.
A video purportedly showing the incident has gone viral.
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Kerala: Blast at fireworks unit rips through paddy field, leaving death, devastation
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): Scenes from a powerful explosion at a fireworks unit in Mundathicode were heartbreaking, as rescuers—mostly residents—described how the blast tore through a quiet paddy field, killing at least 12 people, injuring several others, and leaving widespread destruction.
Columns of thick black smoke rose high into the sky from a cluster of temporary sheds erected in the middle of the field, where firecrackers were being prepared for a local annual festival known for its spectacular fireworks and percussion ensembles.
A routine workday quickly descended into chaos at around 3.30 pm.
Firefighters and rescue personnel who rushed to the isolated site were forced to stop midway as intermittent explosions continued, sending shockwaves across the area.
Unable to approach, they sprayed water from a distance, waiting for the blasts to subside before moving in.
Television visuals and eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture—residents, among the first to reach the spot, were seen carrying the injured across uneven, slushy terrain and collecting scattered human remains.
“Parts of bodies were lying scattered. We helped gather them and send them to hospitals,” said a local man, his voice trembling.
Officials said around 40 workers were believed to have been present at the unit at the time of the explosion, many of whom suffered burn injuries, several of them critical.
The injured were rushed to hospitals, mainly the Government Medical College, Thrissur, as ambulances shuttled between the remote site and medical facilities.
Wilson, one of the surviving workers, recalled the terrifying moment.
“There was a sudden flash beside me and then fire… after that, I don’t remember anything,” he said. He maintained that all workers at the unit were Malayalees and that no migrant labourers were employed.
According to him, the unit had been operating in compliance with safety norms.
“There was nothing illegal. Maybe the extreme heat or direct sunlight on the gunpowder triggered the fire,” he said.
Residents said the fireworks unit had functioned in the area for years without incident, making the scale of Tuesday’s tragedy even more shocking. The sound of the explosion was heard kilometres away, and some nearby houses reportedly suffered damage.
Even hours after the initial blast, occasional explosions and the risk of igniting stored firecrackers continued to hamper rescue operations, with fire and police personnel proceeding cautiously through the debris.
As smoke slowly cleared over the once tranquil fields, festive anticipation surrounding the Pooram gave way to grief, with families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones and authorities struggling to ascertain the exact toll in what is among the worst such accidents in the region in recent times.
