Cop transferred after opening fire at crowd, injuring two

A Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) from Egra in East Midnapore has been accused of shooting two persons from his service revolver for using loudspeakers at midnight on Tuesday.

The incident has shocked the local people and a section of police officers in the district. Police suspect that the accused police officer was in an inebriated state when he shot the victims. The two victims were admitted to a local hospital and their condition was stated to be serious.

Local people said that a club had organised Kali Puja at Egra on the occasion of which the club members played music on loud speakers. During midnight, the accused police officer, Manoranjan Ghosh reached to the spot and asked the puja organisers to stop the loudspeakers and left the place. 

But the puja organisers were unmoved and continued to play music on loudspeakers. The residents 

have alleged that after the sound of the loudspeakers hampered his sleep, he came out of his house with a gun and shot at the puja organisers without any provocation. Two persons received bullets and  were rushed to a nearby hospital.

A section of police officers in the district has however claimed that the puja organisers were beating up drums and were shouting outside the house of the SDPO and he had to open fire to control the situation.

The members of the club however claimed that the police officer fired without any provocation. They said that Ghosh was in inebriated state. He hurled abusive languages at the puja organisers. When the club members protested against him for being abusive, he got infuriated and aimed his gun at the club members. They ran for cover but many could not flee. As a result, two youth received gunshot injury. The victims were taken to Egra hospital where they have been undergoing treatment. The doctors in the hospital said their condition is not stable.

The accused police officer defended himself by saying that he had to open fire to control the mob which was going beyond control.  It could have turned worse if the situation continued, the SDPO had reportedly told the senior officers from his department.  The accused SDPO has been transferred to the post of DSP Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) following the incident.