Cooch Behar firecracker incident: 10 held for setting up roadblock on state highway

Cooch Behar: Following the firecracker incident in Cooch Behar, a group of people had blocked the Cooch Behar–Tufanganj State Highway on Wednesday. 10 people were arrested in connection with this.

According to police sources, on Tuesday, some local residents had been bursting firecrackers near the SP’s bungalow located in Ward No. 9, Rail Ghumti area of Cooch Behar town, since the evening and past midnight, ignoring repeated warnings from the security staff.

“A large number of firecrackers were being burst since evening. Even after repeated warnings, the firecrackers continued until 1 am, and some even landed inside my bungalow,” said District Superintendent of Police Dyutiman Bhattacharjee. He added that the authorities eventually intervened to stop the activity.

Local residents alleged that the SP, along with his security personnel, physically assaulted some people with sticks during the confrontation. The SP waved off the allegations.

Following the roadblock on Wednesday, police from Cooch Behar Kotwali Station arrived to negotiate the removal of the blockade. When the protestors refused, authorities arrested 10 people, including lawyer Mallika Karji and her husband, for blocking the road and creating disturbances.

The arrested have been charged under multiple sections: 179, (2) 285, 221, 223, 132, 121(12), 109, 351(2), 189(2), 121(1), 121(2), 125, 132, 351(2) of BNS and Section 26 of the Fire Service Act.

Three women, including Karji, were granted bail, while five were sent to police custody and two to judicial custody. All are scheduled to appear in court again on October 24.

Public Prosecutor Abdul Jalil Ahmed said: “The police have filed cases against 10 individuals for multiple offenses, including banned firecracker bursting, obstructing the road, and attempting to assault a police officer. Bail was denied to seven under Section 109 of the BNS.”

Lawyer Shiben Roy, representing the accused, condemned the police action, claiming several people were beaten up for bursting firecrackers.

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said, “ Nothing should be judged hastily. The Supreme Court has banned sound crackers, and there is an order against bursting firecrackers after 10 pm. We know the SP well; he is not the kind of officer who would resort to beating up people.”

Based on the Supreme Court ruling West Bengal Pollution Control Board had issued a firm reminder: only green crackers are permitted that too be burst strictly between 8pm to 10 pm on Kali Puja on Monday.