Non-bailable slap on Left activists

Siliguri, April 11: Siliguri police have slapped non-bailable charges on 51 Left activists who were arrested yesterday evening after alleged clashes between them and supporters of the Trinamul Congress. Three Left leaders — former CPM minister Asok Bhattacharya, CPM acting Darjeeling district secretary Jibesh Sarkar and DYFI district secretary Shankar Ghosh — who were also rounded up last night, left Siliguri police station this morning. The police had told the trio yesterday that they could go home but Asok had insisted that all the activists should be released first. This morning, five Left women activists were also allowed to go home from court. All the Left activists, including the women, have been slapped with charges under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from his duty). Both are non-bailable sections. Yesterday, the police had said that two personnel had been injured while trying to contain the clash. Giving details of the additional chief judicial magistrate’s order today, Sudip Roy Basunia, the assistant public prosecutor, said: “Madhumita Basu, the ACJM, heard the case today and has ordered the police to submit a case diary tomorrow. Five women supporters have been granted bail. The other arrested persons would be in jail custody for a day and produced in court tomorrow.” In all, 54 activists and leaders — of the CPM, DYFI and the CPM-backed student outfit SFI — were taken away by the police yesterday, hours after two rounds of clashes with Trinamul marchers outside Anil Biswas Bhavan, the CPM office on Hill Cart Road. Contrary to the police’s version of arrest last night, the law enforcers today said Asok Bhattacharya, Jibesh Sarkar and Shankar Ghosh had not been arrested but only taken away from the party for “safe custody”, keeping in mind the tense situation in Siliguri. The police have taken action against the Left activists in response to three cases filed by Trinamul. The police had also filed a suo motu case against the Left. The CPM too filed a case last night against the Trinamul activists but no arrests have been made so far in that case. Two Left activists, while being brought to court, fell ill this morning and were admitted to a hospital. The 12-hour Darjeeling district strike called by the Left to protest Trinamul’s alleged attack was partial. Shops, schools, colleges, and all banks stayed shut. Private buses stayed off the roads but state buses plied and government offices stayed open. After release, Asok said today: “Yesterday’s attack on us was a premeditated plan hatched by Trinamul. The indiscriminate lathicharge by the police and arrest of almost all the top leaders of our party was made with specific instructions from the chief minister and the north Bengal development minister.” Around 6pm yesterday, Trinamul marchers protesting the alleged SFI attack on minister Amit Mitra in Delhi clashed with Left supporters who were standing out the CPM office. Police personnel at the spot somehow separated the two sides. But half-an-hour later, some Trinamul activists returned. According to eyewitnesses, they threw bricks at the CPM office and vandalised some shops. Asok today said: “Till yesterday, Siliguri was known for its peaceful political culture and environment…. But after yesterday’s incident, we fear that this culture would be lost.” North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb blamed the CPM for the clashes. “The perpetrators who created tension are all CPM workers,” he said. Siliguri metropolitan police commissioner Anand Kumar today said the CPM leaders were not arrested last night. “We have arrested 51 people in connection with yesterday’s incident. Asok Bhattacharya, Jibesh Sarkar and Shankar Ghosh were not arrested yesterday but were taken into safe custody for their security,” he said. When told that A. Ravindranath, the additional deputy commissioner of police who went to the CPM office yesterday, had said all the leaders and activists were being arrested, Kumar said: “We will have to look into it.”