Kolkata: Following the recent clash with police in front of Bikash Bhavan, protesting teachers have been summoned by the cops of Bidhannagar North Police Station for questioning while the Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, Manoj Kumar Verma directed all the police stations within his jurisdiction to be prepared for any such similar situation in the city.
The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, meanwhile, has sought a report from the Bidhannagar City Police after several minor students were spotted attending a class on the road in front of Bikash Bhavan as part of the teachers’ protest styled as ‘Udayan Pandit er Pathshala’.
Police registered a case against the protesting teachers for alleged rioting, criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, threat of injury to public servant, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duties, criminal intimidation, obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions and criminal conspiracy along with the relevant sections under the P.D.P.P.Act. “...during the course of the investigation, it is revealed that you damaged government property and obstructed the public servant from his lawful duty and threatened the public servant from doing their duty, and there are also reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances from you in relation to the present investigation.
Hence, you are directed to appear before me at 11 am on May 21 at the Bidhannagar North Police Station,” the police summons read and warned that non-compliance would lead to arrest. School teachers, who lost their jobs following a recent Supreme Court verdict, continued their protest for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday outside the Education department headquarters in Salt Lake.
“They are doing all these to intimidate us. But we are not scared and will not stop our protest. They (the state government) did all the corruption, and now the police are issuing summons to us,” said a protesting teacher.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Verma directed the OCs to prepare themselves for any such similar situation in the city. He reportedly instructed the OCs and others to exercise patience while dealing with protestors.