A police vehicle that was attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal's Hoogly District.
At least five policemen were injured when a police outpost was ransacked and vehicles were damaged, allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers, at Champdani in West Bengal's Hoogly District on Sunday. Fourteen people, who had been arrested, are to be produced in court today.
The incident was sparked off when a policeman from the outpost, who was checking papers of vehicles plying on GT Road, stopped a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist could not produce any papers so the policeman took him to the outpost to register a case.
The motorcyclist made several calls and soon, a local Trinamool councilor, Bikram Gupta, arrived at the police outpost with dozens of people. Mr Gupta, who is also a Trinamool candidate in the imminent civic polls at Champdani, allegedly pushed the officer in charge around, while his colleagues ransacked the outpost.
At least 14 motorcycles on the premises were damaged and a police jeep overturned. Police form neighbouring police stations rushed in and had to fire four rounds in the air and lathicharge to finally chase the mob away.
Mr Gupta, however, says he did not attack the outpost and that the police beat him up and not the other way round.
Named in the FIR in the case, Mr Gupta has not been arrested yet. One Trinamool leader had claimed that Mr Gupta had not been present at the spot during the trouble.
But Mr Gupta says he was in his area when he heard about the motorcyclist being detained. He says he knew the motorcyclist and so went to the outpost to help.
"I requested the officer in charge, Jayanta Pal, to let the man go as his papers were in order. But the officer replied rudely and a constable standing next to him started thrashing me with a lathi," he said.
Mr Gupta then opened his shirt before media cameras to reveal his injuries.
The incident has led to heightened tensions in the area, which is headed for civic polls.
This is not the first time Trinamool workers have attacked the police. Last year, a policeman was attacked inside the Bolpur police station. No arrests have been made yet. At the Alipore police station in Kolkata, policemen were forced to hide under desks to evade Trinamool workers who were protesting the demolition of encroachments. Initial arrests made in the case emerged as false. Later, some of those responsible were arrested.