Battleground Sovabazar: Groups clash over who gets the temple

If battles over dominion of pieces of land were not enough, Sovabazar saw a new kind of a tussle between two groups who wanted to fight it out to ensure dominion over a temple.

As many as 12 persons were injured in the clash that broke out between two groups over the possession of a temple situated on Sovabazar Street on Monday night. The incident triggered tension in the area and the cops had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the irate mob.

A senior officer of the Jorabagan police station said those who received injuries were undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals. Police have detained at least 15 persons for their alleged involvement in the incident. The clash broke out between residents of Bhangamath and Tarikhana and the incident led to a situation where the two groups resorted to throwing bottles and hurling bricks at each other.

The groups that attacked each other on Monday night were mainly residents of ward 19 and ward 9. It all started when a particular group hurled bombs at their opponents, triggering tension among local residents. There was a long-standing quarrel between the two groups over who will take possession of the temple. After being informed, a huge police force rushed to the spot who had to resort to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. However, there remained an uneasy calm on Monday night and on Tuesday morning, a fresh tension spread in the locality when the two groups again clashed with each other.

Senior police officers had to rush to the spot immediately after the clash along with cops from nearby police stations.

Local people said that there was a problem among the residents of the two areas for a long time but the incident turned violent on Monday night. They also alleged that there was another incident that caused the violence. People said that a country liquor den operating in the area is often a source of trouble and despite repeated pleas to the cops, nothing has changed. The residents said that this too is a reason behind the simmering tension.

Meanwhile, shops and the local markets remained closed on Tuesday and only a few vehicles were seen plying through the area.

Police teams from Jorabagan and Shyampukur police station rushed the spot and even personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) of the Kolkata Police were deployed to bring the situation under control.