Kolkata: The sleuths of Kolkata Police Tuesday morning arrested Faridul Islam, the mastermind behind the violence at the minority-dominated Park Circus area in central Kolkata Sunday afternoon. Protesters pelted stones and bricks, injuring several police personnel, while the latter attempted to prevent a violent demonstration against the use of bulldozers to demolish illegal constructions.
An insider from the city police said that the arrested person took the lead role in organising the violent protest demonstration, first through provocative social media posts and then by giving instigating speeches at the demonstration site Sunday afternoon.
According to a city police insider, the accused persons involved in rowdyism on that day are being identified and arrested after examining the CCTV footage of the day of the incident.
With the arrest of Faridul, the number of people arrested in this connection has increased to 46.
The entire Park Circus area turned into a virtual battlefield Sunday afternoon.
After the protesters blocked the busy seven-point crossing at Park Circus illegally, the Kolkata Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel tried to remove the blockade. The protesters then started pelting stones and bricks at them.
Police vehicles were vandalised, and some police and CAPF personnel were severely injured in that sudden attack by the protesters. Later, the police and CAPF personnel resorted to a massive lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari went to the office of the deputy commissioner of the South East Division of Kolkata Police, under whose jurisdiction Park Circus comes, to talk to them Monday.
Standing at Park Circus crossing, CM Adhikari gave a message of zero tolerance towards hooliganism. He made it clear that no anti-social act would be tolerated. High-ranking officials of Kolkata Police, including the city police chief, Ajay Nand, were present, along with the Chief Minister then.
“This was the first and last attack on police personnel during my government’s tenure. If any policeman is attacked in future, strict legal action will follow. Sunday’s agitation was a pre-planned action. Any political organisation or religious organisation can inform the police and organise their programme. But gathering people, raising religious slogans, and pelting stones cannot be accepted. Stone pelting at police has stopped in Kashmir and Srinagar, and I think it will stop in West Bengal and Kolkata as well,” the Chief Minister said Monday afternoon.
Later, he spoke to the injured police personnel and the injured CAPF personnel.