Eight of mob held for attacking police

KOLKATA: Assaults on suspected child lifters seem to be spreading its tentacles all over the city. On Tuesday, police had to resort to lathicharge after a mob of 3,000-odd people attacked them when they rescued a woman from being assaulted at Rajib Ali Lane in Ekbalpur. Raids were carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday following which eight persons were arrested for spreading rumours and attacking police.
At 8pm on Tuesday, a woman suspected of being a child lifter was intercepted by locals. She was questioned and asked to confirm her act. When the woman denied stealing children, the mob started assaulting her.
Police came to her rescue and removed her to a room at 4A, Rajab Ali Lane. But this failed to pacify the mob. Around 3,000 people gheraoed the room where the woman was kept, compelling police to send for reinforcement from the control room and the bodyguard lines.
By then, the mob had started hurling bricks at the police and ransacked a few of their vehicles.
Police had no option but to resort to lathicharge. They even fired five rounds of tear-gas shells to contain the mob. Senior officers including additional commissioner (I), joint commissioner (administration) and deputy commissioner (port division) went to the spot.
Seven police personnel were also injured in the clash.
Police managed to rescue the suspect, probably a beggar. The woman identified herself as Shakila Khatoon, 32, of Hoglapara near Navina cinema hall on Prince Anwar Shah Road. She was later sent to Cinni Asha for shelter. Seven police personnel sustained injuries.
Police resorted to lathicharge after a mob of around 3,000 attacked police that rescued a woman gheraoed a hostile crowd on Rajab Ali Lane in Ekbalpur. The woman was mobbed and assulated on the suspiscion of child-lifter. The the child-lifting rumour has been spreading fast from Tiljala-Topsia -Karaya to Narkeldanga and now to Ekbalpur. Police carried out raid on Tuesday and Wednesday and arrested eight persons for spreading rumour and attacking police officers.
Police said that at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the woman was caught by local youths. They started squeezing her for the confirmation of her act. She denied. But that did not satisfy them. They started assaulting her. But police came on time and rescued the woman and removed her to a room at 4A, Rajab Ali Lane, which by the time was under attack by a mob of 3,000 people. Reinforcement was sent from the control room and the body guard line.
Senior officers including addaitional commissioner (I), joint commissioner (administration) and deputy commissioner (port division) went to the spot. Police were forced to resort to lathicharge when the unruly mob started brick batting aiming towards the police force. Police fired five rounds of tear gas shells. An irate mob ransacked a few police vehicles.
Police managed to rescue the suspected female, seemingly a street beggar, who identified herself as Shakila Khatoon (32) of Hoglapara near Navina cinema hall on Prince Anwar Shah Road, unhurt and removed her to Cinni Asha for shelter. Seven police personnel sustained injuries.
One Kishore Kumar Ghosh (52), a head typist in the office of Director of Industrial Tribunal, committed suicide by jumping off the ninth floor of New Secretariat building. He was found in pool of blood in the compound in serious condition and was later declared brought dead at SSKM hospital. He has been suffering from mental depression ever since his wife expired recently.