Maheshtala clash: 40 held so far, 7 FIRs filed; cops warn against rumour-mongering

Kolkata: Police of the Diamond Harbour Police District have so far arrested 40 individuals and registered seven FIRs in connection with the violence, vandalism, and assault on police personnel during Wednesday’s clash in Maheshtala’s Rabindranagar area. According to sources, the number of arrests and FIRs is expected to rise in the coming days.

In an official statement posted on X, police stated that the clash had erupted between two groups over illegal construction and plantation on government land without any prior permission, which also involved the replacement of an existing shop. The incident escalated into brick-batting on the police and scattered acts of vandalism in nearby areas. Police resorted to necessary force to disperse the crowd.

The post further read: “A total of 40 persons have been arrested so far in 7 cases registered over the incident. None of those who have indulged in violence will be spared. Whether the illegal construction was planned and designed as a conspiracy to fuel communal tension is also being probed in all seriousness. The situation is now peaceful and under control. Prohibitory orders under 163 BNSS have been imposed in Rabindra Nagar PS area in the interest of peace.”

Police warned that rumour-mongering would not be tolerated and strict legal action would be taken against those spreading misinformation. “Representatives of all political parties or groups are advised not to visit the area till 163 BNSS is in place. We urge all to keep calm and not indulge in rumour-mongering on social media. Those trying to trigger unrest will be sternly dealt with as per law,” the statement added. At a press conference on Thursday, Rahul Goswami, SP of Diamond Harbour Police District, along with Additional SP (Zonal) Mitun Kumar Dey, informed that five individuals, including an RSS activist and BJP worker named Nabin Chandra Roy, were arrested from Budge Budge PS area on Wednesday night with raw materials for bomb-making.

The SP assured that the role of the local police station is also under scrutiny and that fanatics from two communities were responsible for the unrest.

Police pickets have been deployed to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of inciting communal tension. In a post on X, he wrote: “Among the five arrested from Budge-Budge, Nabin Chandra Roy has been identified as a declared BJP4India worker. Explosive materials were also recovered from them, intended to create unrest.

The incident, following the unrest in Maheshtala, clearly exposes BJP4Bengal’s vile conspiracy to provoke disturbances and incite communal division. We will not tolerate such malicious attempts to disrupt Bengal’s harmony.”